NEW YORK — Retired Army Brigadier general Loree K. Sutton did not show up with an entourage to our scheduled interview Thursday afternoon in City Hall park.
Retired Army Brigadier general Loree K. Sutton (Defense Department)
Her relative anonymity in New York City politics — she is the former Commissioner of the city’s Department of Veterans Services — immediately sets her apart from several of the other seasoned elected officials who are expected to also run for mayor of New York City.
“Do I have a lot to learn? Of course I do. And I look forward to it,” Sutton said.
Sutton served 30 years in the military and was the Army’s highest ranking psychiatrist.
If elected, she would be the city’s first female mayor, and – as a staunch advocate for marriage equality, would share Gracie Mansion with her wife, Laurie.
“We know rights, questions and issues that we thought were resolved remain in balance,” Sutton said.
We also asked General Sutton whether she believes her connection to the de Blasio administration will help, or hurt her campaign.
“We’ll see,” she said. “But I’m not going to be that commissioner who talks trash about her boss when she runs for mayor. Having said that, are our politics identical? Surely not.”
Political analyst Basil Smikle weighed in.
“She’s going to have to find a way to navigate that and still be able to talk about her record as a commissioner,” Smikle said.
