Chris Ryan’s union connections, family members and political acquaintances are financing his campaign for the Onondaga County Legislature.
“The main reason that people would want to contribute,” Ryan said, was because “they believe in you.”
Ryan, 38, is the Democratic candidate for the District 8 seat in the Onondaga County Legislature in November’s election. He is running against Republican Larry Corso. The seat is open, with incumbent James Corbett, R-Geddes, retiring after 17 years. District 8 is in the center of Onondaga County, including a portion of Solvay, a portion of Geddes, and the northwestern corner of the city of Syracuse.
The election is Nov. 8.
Here is an overview of Ryan’s fundraising, from campaign finance reports filed with the New York State Board of Elections:
- As of Nov. 1, Ryan has raised $20,082 in 2011.
- Of that, 26.8 percent — or $5,390 — came from 41 named individual donors.
- 51.2 percent — or $10,282 — came from unions, including Communications Workers of America. Ryan is the executive vice president of Local 1123.
- Donations alone from various Communications Workers of America locals accounted for 24.1 percent — or $4,847 — of Ryan’s total donations.
- Other union donations include $1,000 from Iron Workers Local 60 and $1,097 from International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers locals.
- Scrap-metal business owner Adam Weitsman was Ryan’s largest individual donor, giving him $1,000.
- In addition to his 2011 fundraising, Ryan had $4,449 leftover from three previous campaigns for offices in Geddes, where he is a town councilor.
- That brought his total, as of Nov. 1, in campaign funds to $24,531.
- Of that, he has spent $6,435. That leaves him with $18,191 on hand.
Ryan credits his decade of working with unions and his family’s connections to unions for his support among them. His extended family, cousins and third-generation relatives have worked with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 43, he said.
“We support the same ideology,” Ryan said. “That’s how I was raised.”
Among his family members, contributions include $200 from the funeral home owned by his uncle Ed Ryan, the Democratic commissioner for the county elections board, and $100 from his aunt, Judy Renders of Camillus.
Helping him was only natural, Renders said. “He’s not in my district,” said Renders. “He’s my nephew.”
Ryan’s Democratic political colleagues donated $599 to his campaign. They include Ed Szczesniak, a former Democratic election board commissioner; Bill Kinne, retiring Democratic legislator from Syracuse; and Assemblyman Bill Magnarelli, D-Syracuse. State Senator David Valesky, D-Oneida, gave Ryan $99.
As of Nov. 1, Ryan’s Republican opponent Larry Corso had not filed any campaign finance reports for 2011.
(Eric Vilas-Boas is a senior with dual majors in magazine journalism and English and textual studies.) This story was updated Nov. 3 with information from the most recent campaign fiance disclosure reports.
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