Left to right: Bill Magnarelli, Rick Guy
Democrat Bill Magnarelli, the 12-year incumbent, faces Republican Rick Guy, a former Syracuse Common Councilor, for the 120th state Assembly Distrtict seat in November.
Neither Magnarelli nor Guy faced challengers for their party’s nominations in the Sept. 14 primaries. The general election is Nov. 2.
The 120th Assembly District covers the city’s Northside, Westside, Eastwood, Strathmore and Valley, as well as the towns of Van Buren and Geddes.
Democrats dominate the district’s voter enrollment, which gives Magnarelli the advantage over Guy. As of April 2010, the district has 74,774 registered voters. Of that, about 43 percent—or 32,119—are Democrats. About 25 percent—or 18,889 voters—are registered Republicans. Unaffiliated voters number 18,494—or about 25 percent.
Democrats have controlled the Assembly since 1975. They hold 107 seats. Republicans occupy 42 seats with one vacancy.
Of Magnarelli’s chances for re-election, Jeff Stonecash, a political scientist at Syracuse University, took note of the volatile politics this year. “There is this anti-Democratic sentiment and real disgust with the legislature and he’s an incumbent who’s been around a while,” he said. “You never know. I wouldn’t think Rick Guy has a great chance, but there have been a lot of surprises this year.”
Here are brief sketches of the candidates:
Bill Magnarelli (incumbent, Democrat)
Magnarelli, now 60, got his start in politics in 1996 when he was elected as to the Syracuse Common Council. In 1998, he won the 120th Assembly District seat in an open race without a incumbent. He is a life-long resident of Syracuse. He and his wife, Karen, have three adult children.
In 2007, Magnarelli ran an unsuccessful campaign for Onondaga County Executive against Republican Joanie Mahoney.
In his Assembly re-election bid, he stresses his experience in the legislature. “I believe a number of things I’ve been working on for a number of years is now coming to fruition,” Magnarelli said in a recent interview. Among his accomplishments, he named the green-industry initiative, which supports local organizations like the Center for Excellence in developing environmental and energy innovations.
He’s also proud, he said, of the “SAY YES” program in Syracuse. It’s a national program aimed at increasing high school and college graduation rates for inner-city youth through tuition-breaks to attend participating universities.
Magnarelli acknowledged that anti-incumbent criticism of the legislature as a whole is discouraging. “Nobody likes to be painted with the same broad brush,” he said. Rhetoric about removing incumbents from the Assembly, he said is “irrational.” He hopes voters will look at his and other candidates’ voting records before making a decision, Magnarelli said.
Magnarelli earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Syracuse. In 1973, he graduated from SU’s College of Law and went into private practice. He also spent six years with the U.S. Army Reserves.
In the Assembly now, Magnarelli chairs the Veterans’ Affairs committee and previously chaired the Ethics and Guidance, and Education committees. He is also a member of these committees: Economic Development, Job Creation, Commerce and Industry; Education; Health; and Oversight, Analysis and Investigation.
Rick Guy (challenger, Republican)
Rick Guy, 49, entered politics a few years before Magnarelli. In 1989, he was elected to the 2nd Council District, beating incumbent Matt Driscoll, who later became mayor. In 1993, Guy won an at-large seat on the Council and served one four-year term. In 1999, then-Mayor Roy Bernardi appointed Guy as corporation counsel and he held that office until 200, when Driscoll became mayor.
Guy has worked as a lawyer at the Department of Housing and Urban Development. In mid-May 2010, he resigned that job and moved back to Syracuse. He now has a private law practice.
For the Republicans in the 120th Assembly District, Guy won the GOP nomination in June. Another Republican candidate David Gay, a punk-rock singer, had been running but eventually dropped out. Guy is also on the ballot lines of the Conservative and Independence parties.
For the 120th Assembly District seat, Guy is focusing his campaign on three issues: the size of government, taxes and jobs. He echoes traditional Republican stances on his campaign Web site, saying that government should be limited and taxes should be cut.
“I want to change how the Assembly works, to make sure that it works for you,” Guy says on his campaign Web site. He added he wants it “to serve you, not the other way around where the state takes and takes from you, the people, and gives little in return.”
(Rebecca Shabad is a senior with dual majors in broadcast journalism and political science.)
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