The polls for early voting are now open to all voters registered in New York. Here’s your guide to the 2019 Onondaga County Elections.
IF YOU’RE HEADING TO THE POLLS WITHIN THE NEXT WEEK, YOU WILL BE SEEING A LOT OF NEW POLITICIAN NAMES ON THE BALLOT AS WELL AS INCUMBENTS YOU MAY NOT BE FAMILIAR WITH. OUR LILIA WOOD IS IN STUDIO TO BREAK DOWN THE 20-19 ONONDAGA COUNTY BALLOT.
THANK HAILEY… AS BERINE SAID, THE POLLS ARE CURRENTLY OPENED IN NEW YORK, SO HERE’S A QUICK BREAKDOWN OF THE COUNTY BALLOT– STARTING WITH THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE RACE.
INCUMBENT AND REPUBLICAN, RYAN MCMAHON IS BEING CHALLENGED BY DEMOCRAT, TONY MALAVENDA– WHO ONCE RAN FOR OFFICE BACK IN THE 19-80S.
MALAVENDA SAYS HIS CURRENT CAMPAIGN IS BEING RAN MORE PROFESSIONALLY THAN HIS FIRST ATTEMPT RUNNING FOR COUNTY EXECUTIVE.
BUT— SAYS IT’S NOT EASY ADJUSTING TO THE CURRENT POLITICAL CLIMATE.
SOT: “this is truly a race about change. It’s a race about, you know we have lived under the control of not just one party, but essentially a political culture that favors incumbents. It’s almost more incumbency than political party.”
BOTH CANDIDATES HAVE THE SAME GOALS TO INVEST IN INFRASTRUCTURE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, YET HAVE DIFFERENT PLANS TO GET IT DONE.
MCMAHON WANT TO CONTINUING USING HIS PIE PLAN– FOCUSING ON POVERTY, INFRASTRUCTURE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
MALAVENDA WANTS TO MODERNIZE THE COUNTY WITH AN I-T NETWORK WITH MUNICIPALITIES THAT WOULD KEEP PRICES DOWN, TRACK PROGRESS AND COMPLETE NEEDED REPAIRS AND INFRASTRUCTURE AROUND THE CITY.
HE ALSO WANT TO ADD MORE STREET ART TO SHOW SYRACUSE’S TRUE COLORS. TODAY, THERE WAS AN UNVEILING OF A MURAL HE FUNDED ON THE NORTH SIDE.
SOT: “if you look at the voting and the participation…like if you go back a couple elections in these similar off year elections, voter turnout is in the teens with the percentages. It’s not democracy. It just isn’t.
REPUBLICAN DISTRICT ATTORNEY, WILLIAM FITZPATRICK, IS BEING CHALLENGED FOR OFFICE BY BOTH A REPUBLICAN AND A DEMOCRAT.
FITZPATRICK HAS HELD THE OFFICE FOR 27 YEARS. HE IS KNOWN FOR CREATING A DIVERSION COURT, WHICH IS A REHAB PROGRAM, TO HELP LAWBREAKERS.
GARY LAVINE WORKS AT A SYRACUSE LAW FIRM AND HAS BEEN ENDORSED BY THE CONSERVATIVE PARTY TO BECOME DISTRICT ATTORNEY. HE IS FOCUSING ON QUOTE “RESTORING INTEGRITY.”
CHUCK KELLER IS ALSO ON THE BALLOT. KELLER IS AN ADJUNCT PROFESSOR AT S-U AND A CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY. HE’S FOCUSING ON CRIMINALS WHO NEED *MORE* THAN PUNISHMENT TO GET BACK ON THEIR FEET. KELLER
LASTLY, ONONDAGA COUNTY IS VOTING ON THE NEXT COUNTY COMPTROLLER. MATT BEAD-NELL IS THE CURRENT COMPTROLLER AND WAS VOTED IN BY THE COUNTY LEGISLATURE IN JANUARY. THE SEAT WAS VACANT WHEN BOB ANTO-NACCI RESIGNED AFTER WINNING THE ELECTION FOR THE STATE SENATE.
BEAD-NELL IS A REPUBLICAN AND WAS CHOSEN BY COUNTY EXECUTIVE, RYAN MCMAHON.
ON THE OTHER HAND– MASTERPOLE IS ENDING HIS EIGHT YEAR TERM AS SYRACUSE’S ELECTED AUDITOR BECAUSE HE HIT THE TERM-LIMIT. MASTERPOLE HAS SPENT 17 YEARS IN A PUBLIC OFFICE OF SOME FORM AND PREVIOUSLY WORKED FOR K-P-M-G.
NOW– WHEN YOU GET TO THE POLLS, YOU CAN ALSO VOTE FOR THE LEGISLATOR IN YOUR DISTRICT IN ONONDAGA COUNTY.
COUNTY EXECUTIVE
Republican, Ryan McMahon is being challenged by Democrat, Tony Malavenda for County Executive. Malavenda ran for office once in the 1980s.
Malavenda told NCC News that his current campaign is being run more professionally than his first attempt for County Executive, but it is not easy to adjust to the current political climate.
“This is truly a race about change,” Malavenda said. “It’s a race about, you know we have lived under the control of not just one party, but essentially a political culture that favors incumbents. It’s almost more incumbency than political party.”
Both candidates have the same goals to invest in infrastructure and economic development, yet have different plans to get it done.
McMahon wants to continue using his PIE plan that focuses on poverty, infrastructure and economic development. Malavenda wants to modernize the county with an IT network that municipalities can use to keep prices down, track progress, and complete needed repairs and infrastructure around the city.
Malavenda said it’s too early to tell if early voting in New York is working to get more political participation.
“If you look at the voting and the participation like if you go back a couple elections in these similar off year elections, voter turnout is in the teens with the percentages,” Malavenda said. “It’s not a democracy. It just isn’t.”
DISTRICT ATTORNEY
Republican District Attorney, William Fitzpatrick, is being challenged for office by both a Republican and a Democrat.
Fitzpatrick has held the office for 27 years and is known for creating a diversion court, which is a rehab program to help lawbreakers.
Gary Lavine is a Republican that works at a Syracuse law firm. He has been endorsed by the Conservative Party to become District Attorney.
Chuck Keller is also on the ballot. Keller is an adjunct professor at s-u and a criminal defense attorney He’s focusing on criminals who need more than punishment to get back on their feet.
COUNTY COMPTROLLER
Lastly, Onondaga County is voting on the next County Comptroller. Matt Beadnell is the current comptroller and was voted in by the county legislature in January. The seat was vacant when Bob Antonacci resigned after winning the election for the state senate.
Beadnell is a Republican and was chosen by County Executive, Ryan McMahon.
Marty Masterpole is challenging Beadnell, and he is ending his eight year term as Syracuse’s elected auditor because of the term-limit. Masterpole has spent 17 years in a public office and previously worked for KPMG.
Registered voters in Onondaga County will also be able to vote for district legislators on this year’s ballot.
