Democrats in the 128th Assembly District will head to the polls Thursday for the only state-wide race on the local ballot. It's a primary to determine who should fill the seat left vacant when former Assemblymember Sam Roberts accepted an appointment to the Cuomo administration. What follows is a profile of each of the three candidates hoping to convince fellow democrats they're the one best suited for the general election in November.
DAVID STOTT
One of the candidates to fill a vacancy in the state legislature might be familiar from his work on the Onondaga County Legislature. Democrat David Stott is making a case for how he can help people – and make Albany more effective. He says he's not trying to wow anyone with policy or political expertise…instead he says he follows his late father’s mantra of making a difference on little things.
"I'm a t-shirt and jeans guy, I work hard, I love people, I care about the process, and I know that I can make a difference."
He remembers wanting to open his mouth and be voice for people in the county legislature. Now going door to door, he wants to find out from people what they think of their representation in Albany.
"At the end of the conversation, I say in the last five years, have you noticed that this assembly district or the city have improved regarding things that you care about, and I talk about infrastructure, crime, economic development. The answer is always no.”
He blames a ‘politics as usual’ problem that he’d like to change. Stott calls himself a fiscal conservative…but would like to see more money in schools, better plans to help the manufacturing and broader economy, and more help to rebuild local infrastructure. He wonders if he’ll have a better chance to bring that help home than opponents Jean Kessner and Pam Hunter – both current Common Councilors.
"I think an attention to repairing the relationship between Albany and the City of Syracuse is necessary. If the people were to choose one of my opponents, it's really not going to help. I think the governor's going to say, 'gee, you served in the city, I have no relationship with the city. I think that's one point of logic that people are looking at.”
JEAN KESSNER
Syracuse Councilor-at-large Jean Kessner makes no apologies for who she is and what she stands for, and that’s how she says she presents herself as she knocks on doors in the final days leading up to the primary election.
"It's like a very complicated job application that lasts a long time."
The district she hopes to represent sweeps in an odd shape from Salina, east and south into DeWitt, and grabs pieces of Syracuse’s eastern and southern sides before stretching westward again into the Town of Onondaga. But Kessner doesn’t like to get hung up on those divisions when it comes to representing the district in Albany.
"If I come up to you, oh, you live in Salina, you must not have any problems (laughs). You probably have some of the same ones I have living in the middle of the city of Syracuse, slightly changed on some. Some neighborhoods might focus on public safety much more than others. Some might focus on deer much more than others. Some might worry very much about ash for trash deal out in DeWitt."
But Kessner says fair funding for quality public education and the economy come up the most…even if the deer are a major problem in her eastern city neighborhood, extending into DeWitt…
"If you knock on the door on the east side of Syracuse, and you're standing outside talking to people, and deer walk by, deer are going to come up in the conversation. If they say, oh, come on in, and you go in, the deer don't occur to them, or at least it's not their top topic."
Kessner says there needs to be an immediate solution to the problem, as well as a comprehensive, long-term approach…with the state picking up the tab.
PAM HUNTER
Syracuse Councilor-at-Large Pam Hunter says her record of success at city hall positions her well for the job in the assembly. She feels she’s been able to paint a good picture of who she is, what she stands for, and what she’s accomplished in her nearly three non-consecutive years as a city councilor. For example, she played a major role in re-establishing the Citizen Review Board, which looks into allegations of police misconduct. Hunter says other items have addressed the quality of life issues she hears about when she goes door to door.
"That specifically has set me apart from other candidates of what I've been able to introduce, but also what I've been able to resolve. Most of the things we introduce don't necessarily come from the council; they come from the mayor, from the administration, and we introduce them. I've had the opportunity to actually introduce binding legislation."
Hunter comes to the race with a distinct advantage. She was the overwhelming choice among Onondaga County Democratic Party Committee members for the seat, surpassing fellow councilor Jean Kessner and former ounty legislator David Stott. That’s allowed her to raise more money than her challengers combined, which Hunter can use to reach more potential supporters. But she says she doesn’t take the party’s designation for granted.
"You can't rest on your laurels. You can't think, oh, people know who I am, I'm just going to go out there, and they'll vote for me. Or, maybe they've heard about something I did 15 years ago or 10 years ago or 2 months ago, and they'll remember that, and that's good enough. While the party designation is super-helpful, it's on a candidate to make themselves electable."
Hunter says by knocking on doors and sending out mailers. But she worries the primary could fracture party unity, and drive the conversation away from party ideology and voter issues.
The winner of the primary will face republican John Sharon in the general election, who's seeking the seat for the fourth time. Win or lose, David Stott will be on the ballot on the Conservative Party line come November.
OTHER PRIMARY RACES
The 128th Assembly seat might be the most high-profile race on the ballot. But there are some other races of interest to Syracuse democrats.
- Councilor-at-Large: Gary Morris, Sr., Steve Thompson, and incumbent Helen Hudson are seeking 2 open seats.
- Commissioner of Education: Rita Paniagua, Katie Sojewicz, and Dan Romeo are challenging incumbents Michelle Mignano, Max Ruckdeschel, and Mark Muhammed for 4 open seats.
- 4th Council District: Mary Nelson is challenging incumbent Khalid Bey.
Polls are open noon to 9 p.m.
