Democratic challenger Carol Sinesi is raising most of her campaign money from some friends and labor unions in her bid for Onondaga Legislature District 4 seat.
And much of that support, she said, is a pleasant. Checks of $1,000 were still coming in as of late October, said Sinesi.
“I was not expecting anything,” said Sinesi. “To be getting this kind of backing and support, it pleases me. I suppose it is somewhat of a confidence builder”
Between Jan. 1 and Oct. 25, Sinesi had raised $7,618, according to reports on the New York State Board of Elections website. But Sinesi said that she has recieved more checks from unions that she has not reported yet.
In the Nov. 5 election, Sinesi is challenging Judy Tassone, R-Liverpool, for Onondaga Legislature District 4. District 4 includes Liverpool, Geddes, Onondaga Lake and parts of Northside Syracuse. Of the district’s 15,625 registered voters, 34 percent are Democrats; 31 percent are Republican and 26 percent are unaffiliated with a party.
Sinesi is a political newcomer making her first run for public office. Sinesi is a social worker living in Liverpool. She has a degree in social work from Syracuse University.
Here is a brief overview of Sinesi’s campaign finances, from reports filed with the New York State Board of Elections:
- Of her total $7,618 raised, 32 percent– or $2,500 — has come from unions.
- The biggest donors are the Iron Workers Union and the SEIU, each of whom put$1,000 into the pot.
- 26 percent — or $1,997 — came from donors who gave less than the $100 required by the state to give their names.
- One donation came from another Democratic political figure — $100 from the political action committee, or PAC, of assemblyman Bill Magnarelli, D-Syracuse.
- 36 percent — or $2,721 — came from named individual donors. Her largest donation was from Nicholas and Shannon King in Maryland. They gave $500.
Daniel Welch, a courthouse attorney from Marcellus, donated $200 to Sinesi. “Carol is a personal friend,” said Welch. “I think Carol is a dynamic person who would bring some integrity to the system.”
First-time candidates often draw their support from individual donors rather than corporations or PACs, said Kristi Andersen, a political scientist at Syracuse University. “I would think it meant that they had engaged in door-to-door campaigning and/or fundraising events,” said Andersen. “Incumbents are much more likely to get corporate/union money, and challengers less likely.”
As of Nov. 3, her campaign finance reports show that she has spent $4,164. Of that, 60 percent –or $2,500 –was spent on political consulting from Blue&Read in Albany. Her cash on hand was $3,454.
(Ariel Levin-Waldman is a graduate student in broadcast and digital journalism.)
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