John DeFrancisco, Kathleen Joy
(This story was updated Oct. 31, 2010, with information from an interview with state Sen. John DeFrancisco.)
Voters’ choices in the 50th state Senate District are between incumbent Republican John DeFrancisco and Democratic challenger Kathleen Joy.
DeFrancisco has been in the state Senate for 18 years. Joy has been on the Syracuse Common Council since 2005. She announced her candidacy for DeFrancisco’s position in May.
The 50th state Senate District includes most of Onondaga County and part of Syracuse. Voter enrollment in the district gives a slight advantage to Republican DeFrancisco. As of April 2010, the New York State Board of Elections reports, voter enrollment in the district was 65,952 registered as Republicans; 65,445 as Democrat and 48,879 unaffiliated with any party.
At stake this November is control of the state Senate. Out of 62 seats, Democrats have 32 seats and Republicans have 29. There is one vacant seat from the 38th state Senate District.
Some sketches of the candidates in the 50th state Senate District:
Senator John Francisco (incumbent, Republican)
In his re-election bid, DeFrancisco stresses his track record in the state senate. On his senate Web site, he cites among his accomplishments:
- In 2006, he sponsored a bill increasing penalties for automobile crimes committed by those with earlier drunk-driving convictions.
- He also sponsored legislation to increase penalties for drivers who flee police officers. Both bills were signed into law.
- In 2007, he won almost $500,000 in state grants for music programs. The money went to Syracuse organizations such as the Central New York Jazz Arts Foundation and The Learning Place.
- In 2008, he sponsored legislation to create a property-tax exemption for Syracuse as part of the city’s battle against vacant homes, allowing buyers to avoid taxes while renovating a vacant home.
In the state senate, DeFrancisco is the ranking member of the Finance Committee. From 2003 to 2008, he was chairman of the Judiciary Committee.
DeFrancisco is a native of Syracuse. He graduated from Syracuse University in 1968 with a bachelor’s degree. In 1971, he graduated from Duke University’s law school. He got his start in politics in 1980, when he was elected to the Syracuse Common Council. He spent 11 years n the Council, beginning as a councilor-at-large and then as council president. DeFrancisco also was an adjunct law professor at Syracuse University for 12 years and was the assistant district attorney in Onondaga County for three years.
In the face of negative campaign ads, DeFrancisco pledged to avoid that strategy. “By judging the TV commercials, you’d think everyone’s a crook and no good,” said DeFrancisco. “The biggest difficulty to the general public who sees all this negative noise is that it’s impossible to figure what’s truthful and what’s not. I’ve stayed positive. I won’t go negative.”
Kathleen Joy (challenger, Democrat)
Kathleen Joy was born into politics. Her grandfather was the mayor of Fredonia, the small town where she grew up. And her mother, Joy recalls, was campaigning for him the day she was born.
She began her own political career in 2005, when she was elected to the Syracuse Common Council as a councilor-at-large. She was re-elected in 2007 to a second term that expires in 2011. With Democrats in the majority, she is now the Council’s majority leader.
Joy has received her bachelor’s degree in political science from Allegheny College. She also received a law degree from Capital University in Columbus, Ohio. She has worked as a real estate attorney with Bankers Title and Abstract.
On the Common Council, she cites these accomplishments:
- Sponsoring legislation to encourage businesses to retool and use green technology.
- Negotiating compromises with Onondaga County over the sewage treatment facilities to lessen overflow into Onondaga Lake.
- Working to create tax breaks to attract businesses to Syracuse.
In her campaign for the 50th state Senate District, Joy pitches herself as a reform candidate who will get beyond partisan politics and listen to voters.
“They want to see civility. They’re tired of this bullying politics and the divisiveness that comes from Democrats and Republicans,” said Joy. “They really want to see a much more collaborative effort so that people are listening to them. We might not have all the answers, but we can try and at least make things better.”
(Robert Lowrey is a graduate student in broadcast and digital journalism.)
-30-
