Now that district maps have been finalized, the Cayuga County Democratic Committee has made its endorsements for Congress.
Due to previous uncertainty as to which district(s) Cayuga County would be placed in, the committee held off on announcing congressional endorsements in January when it endorsed State Senator Rachel May and Ian Phillips in their respective state races. Committee Chair Dia Carabajal told Finger Lakes News Radio that the committee made its decision Monday on who to support.
In the 22nd Congressional District, State Senator John Mannion has received the committee’s support. Mannion, who currently represents the 50th State Senate District, is running to unseat Republican Congressman Brandon Williams in November.
“Cayuga County Democrats know that we must beat Brandon Williams in November and I’m grateful that they trust me to be the candidate who can get the job done,” Mannion told Finger Lakes News Radio. “Together we flipped a Senate seat in 2020 and were going to do it again in 2024. I’m proud to have delivered for Auburn and Cayuga County in the Senate and I’m going to bring that record of success to Washington. I’m grateful for the committee’s strong support and we’re going to hit the ground running to win in NY-22.”
Mannion may have an edge over Williams as the new 22nd District contains more registered Democrats than Republicans. Its boundaries consist of Auburn and Southern Cayuga County along with all of Onondaga and Madison Counties and parts of Cortland and Oneida Counties.
The rest of the county remains in the 24th Congressional District. There, retired lawyer David Wagenhauser has received the committee’s nod in his race against incumbent Claudia Tenney.
Speaking with Finger Lakes News Radio, Wagenhauser called the endorsement an honor.
“We’re very honored to receive their endorsement. We look very forward to working with them,” said Wagenhauser. Cayuga County is not the county it was for us a month ago due to redistricting, but I look forward to serving them.”
The 24th Congressional District stretches from Niagara to Jefferson County and covers nearly all of the Finger Lakes. Tenney previously represented the 22nd district; however, following redistricting in 2022, she decided to run in the 24th which she won over Democrat Steven Holden.
Tenney has received the support of the Cayuga County Republican and Conservative Committees.
