One Republican looking to represent Cayuga County in the state senate has received the support of a former state senator.
Retired New York State Senator John DeFrancisco has endorsed Fanny Villarreal for the 48th State Senate District. DeFrancisco said in a release that, having known her for 25 years, he believes the Syracuse area Republican is committed to serving her community.
“I have known Fanny Villarreal for about 25 years. She has been a strong advocate for her community since the day I met her. I know since she came to me numerous times over the years on important issues when I served as NY State Senator. There is no one more committed to community service than Fanny.”
He added that she will be an advocate for Central New York and is the party’s best hope for defeating the Democrat incumbent, Rachel May.
“We need an advocate for the people of Central NY, not a representative who prioritizes the interests of NY City Democrats over the needs of Upstate NY residents. Please support Fanny, our best hope for beating Rachel May this November,” DeFrancisco continued.
Villarreal is grateful for the support of the former state senator as she faces off against Caleb Slater for the Republican party nomination for the 48th state senate seat.
“It is an honor to have the support of Retired Senator DeFrancisco. He always took the time to listen to my concerns and help find solutions to community problems. He was a wonderful partner on countless projects that I was involved with, said Villarreal. “If elected, I will do my best to serve the people like he did – by listening to residents across the district, by working for what matters to them, and by being a strong voice for the people of Central NY in Albany.”
DeFrancisco served as the state senator for the old 50th State Senate District, which was comprised of parts of Cayuga and Onondaga Counties, from 2003-2018. From 1993-2002, he was the state senator for the 49th district. While in office, he served as he was the Deputy Majority Leader from 2013-2018.
The current 48th State Senate District, in which Villarreal is running, is composed of the entirety of Cayuga County as well as the City of Syracuse and the Towns of Elbridge, Fabius, LaFayette, Lysander, Marcellus, Onondaga, Pompey, Skaneateles, Spafford, Tully, and Van Buren in Onondaga County.
Originally from Peru, Villarreal moved to Syracuse in 1991. She is currently the YWCA of Syracuse and Onondaga County’s executive director as well as a board member of Excellus BCBS of CNY and HomeHeadquarters Inc.
The GOP primary will be held June 25.
