In the state Assembly’s 119th District, where Democrats greatly outnumber Republicans, Tuesday’s Democratic primary might be as important as the general election in November. With longtime incumbent Joan Christensen stepping down after 20 years, the field is wide open for her party. Three people — two with public office backgrounds and another with family ties to public office — are...
In the state Assembly’s 119th District, where Democrats greatly outnumber Republicans, Tuesday’s Democratic primary might be as important as the general election in November.
With longtime incumbent Joan Christensen stepping down after 20 years, the field is wide open for her party. Three people — two with public office backgrounds and another with family ties to public office — are running in the primary:
• Oswego BOCES Assistant Superintendent Jane Fahey-Suddaby;
• Syracuse City Auditor Phil LaTessa;
• Former Onondaga County Legislator Sam Roberts.
The victor will have a big advantage in the Nov. 2 general election, because of the party breakdown in the district, which includes Salina, DeWitt, Onondaga and some Syracuse neighborhoods. Only 27 percent of active voters are enrolled Republicans; 44 percent are enrolled Democrats. Democrats have controlled the seat since 1990, when Christensen became the first woman from Onondaga County elected to the Assembly.
Roberts and LaTessa tout their government experience; Fahey-Suddaby touts her lack of it.
Jane Fahey-Suddaby“People clearly want their government given back to them. They want somebody who doesn’t have political capital to spend or favors to be exchanged,” she said. “I haven’t come up through the Democratic farm system, so I don’t have those favors to pay back.”
While never having held public office herself, Fahey-Suddaby is married to U.S. District Judge Glenn Suddaby, a Republican, and is the daughter of the late Syracuse City Judge James Fahey and sister of Onondaga County Court Judge Joseph Fahey.
Fahey-Suddaby, 54, has run the Oswego BOCES Instructional Support Services and Strategic Planning office since 2003. Before that, she was director of instructional support services for the Liverpool school district, and she spent 13 years before that in the city school district.
Sam RobertsRoberts, 54, served as a county legislator from 1990 to 1999. He said he knows his way around a legislature.
“I’m the only one that has any experience in any legislative actions,” Roberts said. “That’s key. I have a proven track record of constituent services. During the time I served in the Legislature I was able to be pretty successful in getting things done. “
Roberts says he would work to create jobs and repair the economy. When GM closed its Salina plant, Roberts had to work at the company’s plant in Massena — commuting home on weekends and still serving as chairman of the 17th Ward — for seven years before he could retire last year.
“When people are talking about the economy and how hard the economy has hit them, I’ve been hit, brother, I’ve been hit,” he said.
Phil LaTessaLaTessa, 49, has been the city auditor since 2003 and owns appraisal, abstract and property management companies. He said he would hold Albany as accountable as he has held Syracuse. He said he raised questions not only about city finances, such as the sale of the Hotel Syracuse, but about city policies as well. He said his office also established a fraud hotline.
“We need somebody to go to Albany, and we all know what Albany is about,” said LaTessa, who won the backing of the Democratic committee. “We need someone with a track record of holding government accountable, who cares about the bottom line, and is socially progressive. That’s what I am.”
Roberts has raised about $12,500. His largest contributor is United Food and Commercial Workers Local One in Oriskany, which gave $750. Roberts worked for General Motors for 30 years and is a member of the United Auto Workers.
Roberts said he has loaned his campaign $40,000.
“If you don’t believe in yourself, how can you expect other people to believe in you?” he asked.
LaTessa has raised about $34,000, and about a third of that has come from his own businesses. He has also loaned his campaign $72,600.
Beyond that, his largest contributor is the Empire State Pride Agenda political action committee, which donated $2,500.
LaTessa said the group sent out candidate questionnaires, one that indicated he is in favor of gay marriage.
“I just believe it’s equality,” he said. “I think churches should make decisions who they wish to perform marriages for, but I don’t think government should be making that decision.”
Fahey-Suddaby has raised the most money of the three candidates at about $57,000, according to elections records. Much of that has come from lawyers and law firms on both ends of the political spectrum.
“If you look at any candidate’s background and who knows who and that sort of thing, you’ll see a pattern,” she said. “If you’re a business person, you’re probably going to take in a lot from businesses.”
Her biggest contributor, at $5,000, is longtime friend and Syracuse native Christine Varney, the antitrust chief at the U.S. Department of Justice and a member of President Barack Obama’s transition team.
The winner of Tuesday’s primary on Nov. 2 will face:
• John Sharon, Republican Party;
• Christina M. Fitch, Conservative Party;
• Michael Donnelly, Green Party.
--Contact Glenn Coin at gcoin@syracuse.com or 470-3251.