ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- A lot can change in four years.
When Lovely Warren won her first race for Rochester mayor in 2013, she ran as an outsider taking on the local Democratic Committee's endorsed candidate.
Thursday night, she coasted to the committee's designation, getting more than 55 percent of the vote.
"I think that the fact that we were able to reach across the aisles and get support where we didn't have support before is very important here," Mayor Lovely Warren (D) said.
"I think that the mayor having gotten the designation definitely shows that they've had the confidence in her performance over the past four years," said Jamie Romeo, MCDC chair.
She used her acceptance speech to call for the party to come together, even as she recognized she'll embark on a likely contentious next four months.
Warren faces two primary candidates — former Rochester Police Chief James Sheppard and former television reporter Rachel Barnhart.
"If we are going to stand up to the Republicans, we have to start doing things a little bit differently because a house divided will surely fall," said Warren.
In keeping with theme, the mayor gave Monroe County Sheriff Candidate Todd Baxter her vote of confidence.
Shortly after, the former Greece police chief accepted his own designation from the committee.
"We all share the fundamental belief that government is here to solve problems for people, not create problems and that transcends party lines," Baxter (D) said.
Baxter is doing a lot of transcending party lines these days, just recently changing his affiliation from Republican.
Romeo says he left no doubts with the committee though.
"Our leaders and obviously our members here felt that we hold the same ideals and those same values that Todd Baxter believes, just decency and taking the politics out of the sheriff's office and we are very happy to support him," said Romeo.
The committee also designated candidates for other races including the county legislature and city council.