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A series of Onondaga County Democratic Committee-endorsed candidates, such as Common Council Candidates Sam Reed Jr. and Bruce Conner, lost their primary races Tuesday night.

Voters cast ballots on who would represent their party in the general election on Nov. 7 for Onondaga County Legislature’s 15 district, Syracuse city auditor and four Syracuse Common Council seats.

Onondaga County Legislature – District 15

Maurice “Mo” Brown, a Syracuse progressive activist and student advisor at Onondaga Community College, secured the Democratic line for the 15th District seat of the Onondaga County Legislature with 63.57% of the vote.

Brown beat Tim Rudd, Syracuse’s city budget director, who the Onondaga County Democratic Committee endorsed in February.

Despite not being the Onondaga County Democratic Cmmittee’s designated candidate, Brown was able to collect enough signatures to run for office through an independent nominating petition, forcing a primary. Without much establishment support, Syracuse’s branch of the Democratic Socialists of America endorsed Brown in March.

Brown will now run against Moise “Mo” Moodie, the Republican Party’s nominee, in November.

Syracuse Common Councilor – District 1

In another defeat for a Democratic committee-endorsed candidate, Sam Reed Jr. lost to Marty Nave in the Democratic primary for the Syracuse Common Council’s 1st district. Nave won over 54% of the vote.

Both Nave, an employee at a Walgreens pharmacy, and Reed, the chief operating officer at Syracuse Community Connections, were making their first run for public office.

Syracuse Common Councilor – District 4

Patrona Jones-Rowser beat out Bruce Conner, who the Onondaga Democratic Committee endorsed, for Syracuse Common Council’s 4th District with 51.95% of the vote. Mayor Ben Walsh, an independent, endorsed Jones-Rowser.

Both candidates are community activists who decided to make their first runs for public office after Councilor Latoya Allen chose not to seek re-election.

Jones-Rowser will now go on to face Hasahn Bloodworth, who is running as an independent, in the November general election.

Syracuse Common Council – at-Large

Rita Paniagua and Chol Majok, two current common councilors, won the two available positions for councilor-at-large in the Democratic primary. Paniagua and Majok emerged over Jennifer Schulz, the third candidate on the primary ballot, with 32.52% and 40.51% of the vote respectively. Jennifer Schultz currently serves as the common councilor for District 1.

Since no Republican candidates areF running for the positions in November, Paniagua and Majok likely secured their spots as Syracuse’s councilors-at-large for the upcoming term on Tuesday.

Syracuse City Auditor

In his first run for public office, Alexander Marion defeated incumbent Nader Maroun for city auditor with 54.29% of the vote. Marion previously served as former Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner’s press secretary.

Maroun, who ran unopposed for city auditor four years ago, received the Onondaga County Democratic Committee’s endorsement in February for a second term. With no Republican or third-party candidate running in the November election, Marion will likely secure the auditor’s job unopposed.

Below is a list of results from primaries that took place in Syracuse:

City of Syracuse
City Auditor
Alexander Marion (D) – 54.29% (2,720)
Nader P. Maroun (D) – 45.47% (2,278)

Councilor-At-Large (voters selected two)
Rita Paniagua (D) – 32.52% (2,889)
Jennifer Schultz (D) – 26.61% (2,364)
Chol Majok (D) – 40.51% (3,599)

Commissioner of Education (voters selected four)
Tamica Barnett (D) – 24.69% (3,979)
Mary E. Habib (D) – 17.90% (2,885)
Gwendolyn H. Raeford (D) – 21.06% (3,394)
Michael E. Root (D) – 17.45% (2,813)
Ranette L. Releford (D) – 18.71% (3,015)

Councilor 1st District
Sean Reed, Jr (D) – 44.95% (267)
Marty Nave (D) – 54.88% (326)

Councilor 4th District
Patrona Jones-Rowser (D) – 51.94% (523)
Bruce Conner (D) – 47.86% (482)

Onondaga County
Legislator 15th District
Timothy M. Rudd (D) – 36.43% (628)
Maurice “Mo” Brown (D) – 63.57% (1,096)

District Attorney (for the Conservative Party line)
Charles Keller (D) – 16.45% (87)
Christine A. Varga (R)- 82.04% (434)

Disclaimer: The Daily Orange sourced its election results from the Onondaga County Board of Election’s unofficial tally as of 10 p.m. on June 28.

Published on June 29, 2023 at 12:01 am

Contact Samantha: saolande@syr.edu