Democrat John Mannion wins nomination in 22nd Congressional District

The results are in, and New York State Senator John Mannion is going to be the Democrats’ nominee in the 22^nd Congressional District race this fall.

In a statement released Tuesday night, Mannion said, “The voters of Central New York and the Mohawk Valley have sent a clear message in this Primary Election. They reject divisive politics and want new leadership in Congress. I’ll continue to run a campaign on the issues, my record, and work to expand our winning coalition. Control of Congress runs through NY-22 – we need party-unity and a big tent to flip this seat and stop dangerous attacks on our freedoms and values.”

Mannion beat fellow Democrat Sarah Klee Hood, a DeWitt Town Councilor, mother, and former Air Force officer.

After the results were released Tuesday, Klee Hood asked Democrats to come together.

"NY-22 specifically is the best toss-up nationally to win back the House," Klee Hood said. "Winning back the House means that our daughters will get their rights back. It means that families will get the services, the programs that they need to thrive, that our communities will begin to be elevated. There is so much hope and potential in flipping back NY-22, that we simply must come together."

She also spoke about what might be next for her.

"A lot of our communities, our young families, it's different than when I was going through this, and just trying to be a voice to advocate for better policies," she said. "Not only for women and our daughters and our granddaughters, but for working families at-large."

Ellen Abbott

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WRVO

Mannion will face off with Republican incumbent Brandon Williams (R-Sennett) this fall.

It’s expected to be one of the most closely watched races in the country.

On Tuesday night, Mannion addressed his supporters.

"This race is about protecting our youth. It's about public safety. It's about education. It's about making sure that a woman has a right to choose. It's about making sure that there are good jobs in central New York. It's about making sure everyone has accessible and affordable health care."

And he spoke of the need to avoid negativity in the upcoming election season.

"I charge all of you here tonight and everyone at home to support candidates that run positive campaigns, that are committed to working together, that don't take opportunities to tear someone else down because that is tearing this country down, a country that I love, a country that all these people love," said Mannion. "We are going to work together, stand together, not just to win this seat, but to change the culture of politics that our parents and our grandparents and our great-grandparents expected us and taught us to do."

Before his election to the senate, Mannion spent three decades as a science teacher in the West Genesee School District. He also served as a union president. During the primary campaign, Mannion received endorsements from a number of unions, including New York State United Teachers (NYSUT), Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA), and The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW Local 2032).

Mannion said he helped usher in a number of initiatives during his time in Albany, including the Green Chips legislation and the creation of a police department at Syracuse’s Hancock International Airport.

Before Mannion had been declared the winner, Williams posted on social media, calling Mannion "an Albany-insider who has spent his political career siding with far-left radicals," adding that "Central New Yorkers have felt the impact at the pump, in the grocery store, and on their utility bills." Williams then called Mannion, who entered politics in 2018, a "career politician."

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 5.