Voters in Onondaga County have some new choices for the county legislature this November.
The races in five county districts are what’s called open seats. That means the incumbents are not running for re-election. One of the open seats has only one candidate. That’s in District 1, where Republican Brian May, a Lysander town board member, is running to succeed veteran legislator and fellow Republican Richard Lesniak. Lesniak decided not to seek re-election.
The other four open seats have contested races with candidates vying for the offices.
Syracuse University political science professor Kristi Andersen explained the opportunities that arise in open seat races.
“That really provides an opportunity for new people to try to get into politics at the county level and it provides an opportunity for both parties.”
(Kristi Andersen, political scientist at Syracuse University)
The November election is the county legislature’s first since it was redistricted in the spring. That cut the legislature from 19 seats to 17.
Here’s a look at the four contested open-seat races:
- District 6
Republican James Rhinehart is retiring. He’s been in the legislature since 2005. The district is one of the largest in the county and includes Skaneateles, Marcellus, Spafford, Otisco and part of Camillus. District 6 is heavily Republican with 41 percent of registered voters belonging to the GOP.
Former Marcellus mayor Mike Plochocki is the Republican candidate. He cites the economy and jobs as his number-one priority.
“It’s very clear to me that the economic crisis that we’re in we’re not getting out of anytime soon. And something I’ve been saying to people while I’ve been campaigning is that they need to understand that this is a very unusual year. People are used to hearing political figures say, ‘Well, I promise you this and I promise you that.’ And what I’ve been saying to people is, frankly, be prepared for cuts. It’s hard for me to see how we can balance the budget without significant cuts to programs we already have.”
(Mike Plochocki, Republican candidate in District 6)
Plochocki is now an environmental lawyer. He calls green technology a way to create jobs in Onondaga County.
Toby Shelley is the Democratic candidate in District 6. Shelley is a sergeant in the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Department, where he has worked for 17 years. He has also been in the Air Force for 27 years, is a volunteer firefighter and runs a small farm in Otisco. Shelley ran unsuccessfully for sheriff last year. He says that his public safety experience would fill a hole in the legislature’s expertise.
“I read the county budget over the winter and 32 percent of the county budget is public safety.”
(Toby Shelley, Democratic candidate in District 6)
Shelley plans to bring some of his ideas from his unsuccessful bid for sheriff with him into the legislature. For example, he calls for surrounding counties to pay to use the county’s helicopter.
- District 7
This is a seat being vacated by Democrat Tom Buckel, who was first elected in 2008. The district was re-shaped by the redistricting and now includes the area from DeWitt to the Syracuse north side neighborhood just north of the Cicero line including East Syracuse. It’s slightly Democratic with 39 percent of its voters affiliated with the Democratic Party.
Danny Liedka is running as the Republican candidate. Liedka is in his second term as the mayor of East Syracuse. He is the director of business development for New York State for Marriot Corporation. Liedka is also a sports broadcaster for Time Warner Cable Sports and ESPNU.
Liedka says his executive experience would help him as a legislator. As mayor, he said:
“I passed five budgets. I never increased taxes. And considering the make-up of this village, we have the lowest median income and very few resources and the fact that we have balanced budgets under my watch I think gives me great foresight to help in that regard at the county level.”
(Danny Liedka, Republican candidate in District 7)
Lorene Dadey is the Democratic candidate. She’s also been mayor of East Syracuse — from 2003 to 2004. She’s also been elected to the DeWitt Town Board. And Dadey owns Sunshine’s Coffee Shop near Carrier Circle with her husband, Patrick.
Dadey says her real motivation to join the legislature is to bring the voices of her constituents to the county government.
“If you talk to my constituents you will see that that is one of my passions – looking out for your health, safety, welfare, environment. That’s what I do. That’s the reason I do what I do. I pride myself on helping be that liaison between your family, you, your business and how the government can help you.”
(Lorene Dadey, Democratic candidate in District 7)
- District 8
Republican James Corbett is the retiring incumbent. He’s been in the legislature since 1995. District 8 includes a portion of Geddes, a portion of Solvay and the northern portions of the city of Syracuse including the areas that border Onondaga Lake. It has more than twice as many registered Democrats as Republicans.
Larry Corso is the Republican candidate. He is a retired Teamster, Marine and security supervisor is running on the Republican ticket. He’s a lifelong resident of the area. He says politics should be good common sense.
“You don’t have to be an Einstein to be a politician. And I realize this is not a lifetime position that I’m looking for either. I would never take that under no conditions. It’s what I feel I can do for the people.”
(Larry Corso, Republican candidate in District 8)
Corso ran unsuccessfully in 2007.
Chris Ryan is the Democratic candidate for District 8. Ryan works at Verizon Communications and is the executive vice president of the Communications Workers of America Local 1123.
Ryan is a six-year member of the Geddes Town Board and serves as the deputy supervisor. As a county legislator, Ryan says, his number one goal would be to make the streets of the county safer.
“We have a really tough time with crime and I think a matter of public safety is definitely something I would be interested in working on. My opinion is, and I always thought this, is if you can’t feel safe in your neighborhood, in your community — then you have a problem. And that is a building block and that is a framework of a neighborhood that isn’t going to be successful.”
(Chris Ryan, Democratic candidate in District 8)
Ryan also calls for more collaboration among the towns, villages, city and county governments.
- District 15
District 15 also changed significantly when the county was re-districted. This open seat comes from Democrat Bill Kinne retiring after suffering a brain aneurysm in March 2010. He has held the seat since 1992. District 15 includes the area around the southern portion of Syracuse, the town of Onondaga and part of Geddes including the Village of Solvay. About 41 percent of the district’s registered voters are Democrats compared to 28 percent registered as Republicans.
Ryan McMahon is running as the Republican candidate. McMahon owns a local mortgage bank and has been on the Syracuse Common Council for the last six years. He is chair of the council’s finance committee. McMahon says his common council experience will be a help.
“We’ve been dealing with the fiscal constraints the county is seeing now. We’ve been dealing with this for six years. So this is nothing new. Dealing with budget deficits is nothing new to me as finance chair. Each year we go in to find creative ways to find savings. We look at different consolidations. We look at different ways to hold vacancies. We look at cash-hole management.”
(Ryan McMahon, Republican candidate in District 15)
Mark English is running as the Democratic candidate in District 15. English has been a private practice lawyer at Finnochio and English for 23 years. Before that, English was a foundry worker for eight years at what is now Cooper Crouse-Hinds, which makes electrical products. English lost a bid for the county legislature in 2007.
English was not available for comment for this story since he is on vacation though October 3.
Election Day is November 8.
Reporting for Democracywise, I’m Matt Phifer.
(Matt Phifer is a senior with dual majors in broadcast and digital journalism and political science.)
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