Unions and fellow Democrats are the major sources of campaign money for Mark English in the race for the Onondaga County Legislature seat in District 15.
As of Oct. 28, English has raised $10,339, according to campaign finance reports filed with the New York State Board of Elections. His Republican opponent, Ryan McMahon, the Common Councilor from the city’s District 3, has nearly four times as much money — $41,400.
English and McMahon are vying for the county legislator seat in a newly redesigned District 15, which in the center of Onondaga County, including the southwestern corner of Geddes, a portion of Solvay, a portion of the Town of Onondaga and the southern portion of the city of Syracuse. The election is Nov. 8.
English’s labor union connections go back to his earliest job out of high school. He is now a lawyer. But for 17 years, English worked as a union officer and foundry worker with what used to be Crouse-Hines. For his run for the county legislature, several local unions have contributed $1,955 — or 19 percent — of English’s campaign funds.
Here is a general overview of the rest of English’s contributions, from the state board of elections campaign finance reports:
- Among his labor union contributions, the largest are $1,250 from Teamster Local 317 and $250 from IBEW LU 1249.
- Of his total $10,339, his law firm, Finnochio and English, and English personally contributed $1,368 — or 13 percent — to his campaign.
- 34 percent — or $3,491 — came from individual contributions of less than $99 each.
- Named individuals gave $1,375 — or 15 percent — toward English’s campaign. Among the largest individual contributions was $200 from the county legislature’s Democratic floor leader, Mark Stanczyk of Syracuse.
- The campaigns for Bill Kinne, D-Syracuse, former District 15 county legislator, and Assemblyman Bill Magnarelli, D-Syracuse, gave a total of $600.
- The Committee for Legislative Action, a group dedicated to winning a Democratic majority in the Onondaga County legislature, gave $1,000.
For his campaign, English said, he’s depending less on money and more on shoe leather. Door-knocking has been his favorite strategy for gaining supporters, he said. “You can hear what people have to say,” he said. “You can learn about your community that way.”
Here is an overview of English’s expenses, from state reports:
- He has spent $2,322 on fundraising and publishing literature.
- Of that, 54 percent — or $1,258 — of his spending has gone to KinaneCo Printing for literature and yard signs.
- The rest of the expenditures — or $789.84 — went to a reception with Twin Trees Restaurants.
He’s minimizing spending, English said. “It’s still volunteers and human labor that you rely on,” he said. “You have to try to keep the expenses down.”
(Sara Tracey is a senior majoring in newspaper journalism.)
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