Common Council President Andrea Shaut will run for mayor of Kingston next year. She joins fellow Democrat and council Majority Leader Michele Hirsch (D- Ward 9) and independent candidate Scott Denny who are vying to replace incumbent Steve Noble. Noble announced this week that he will not seek a fourth four-year term in office.

"Kingston is a remarkable city with dedicated residents, vibrant neighborhoods and enormous potential," Shaut said in an announcement Tuesday. "As mayor, I will focus on responsible long-term planning, transparent communication and collaborative leadership that brings people together to address challenges and seize opportunities. We need a city government that is both responsive to today's needs and well-prepared for tomorrow's challenges."

Shaut, who rolled out a slickly produced campaign website detailing her platform along with her campaign announcement, was first elected to the council’s Ninth Ward seat in 2017, beating out Council Minority Leader Deb Brown — the last Republican to serve as an elected official in city government. Two years later, she was elected to a four-year term as Common Council president, running for the citywide post unopposed. In 2023 in another unopposed contest, she secured a second term.

A graduate of Kingston High School and Ithaca College, Shaut, 43, spent 20 years as a professional pianist including stints as accompanist for the West Point Glee Club and the New York All State Chorus. In 2025, Shaut graduated Summa Cum Laude from Albany Law School. She currently works as a clerk for the Appellate Division of New York’s Third Judicial District. Earlier this year Shaut revealed that she had completed the last two-years of law school and passed the bar while undergoing treatment for cancer. She is the partner of Kingston Department of Public Works Superintendent Ed Norman.

On her website, Shaut touted her work helping advance the city’s new form-based zoning code as well as efforts to rewrite and modernize the Common Council rules and the city code. She has also been one of the leading voices calling for the formation of a charter commission to study and potentially recommend changes to Kingston’s governing document. The charter commission began meeting last month and any recommended changes will be on the ballot next year along with the race for mayor and all 10 seats on the council.

In a section of her campaign website labeled “vision,” Shaut lays out four “commitments,” including better long-term fiscal planning, strong communication with constituents, taking a collaborative approach to problem-solving and leading “with compassion.” Shaut also identified safe streets, affordable housing and modernized infrastructure as top priorities.

"I've spent my career bringing people together, whether through public service, the law or music. Leadership requires preparation, discipline, creativity and empathy. Those are the values I will bring to the mayor's office every day," Shaut wrote. "We are all connected by our shared investment in Kingston's future," she added. "I am running for mayor because I believe in this city, I believe in its people and I believe that together we can build a stronger, more inclusive and more resilient Kingston."

Shaut and Hirsch are expected to compete in the June Democratic primary. No mayor has won election without holding the Democratic party line since the early 1990s. Early next year, the Kingston Democratic Committee will endorse a candidate, though any Democrat can compete in the primary if they secure enough petition signatures. Hirsch is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America and has already secured a quasi-endorsement from DSA-aligned advocacy nonprofit For the Many (the group said it will not formally endorse until it conducts candidate interviews) and DSA Assemblywoman Sarahana Shrestha.

Shaut has the endorsement of Ward 5 Alderwoman Teryl Mickens. Mickens and former Ward Four Alderwoman Jeanne Edwards clashed with Hirsch over published remarks in which she criticized the Kingston Democratic Committee for supporting insufficiently progressive candidates using the two women as an example. The dynamic suggests next year’s Democratic primary could be a showdown between establishment Democrats and Democratic Socialists.

The race could hinge on Noble’s plans. While Noble said he would not run a fourth term, he did not commit to finishing his current term in office, saying instead that he did not know what the future holds. Under the City Charter, if Noble were to leave office, Shaut would automatically become mayor for the remainder of his term. The council would also have to choose a new president from among its members to finish off Shaut’s term while Shaut could select someone to fill her new deputy’s seat on the council.