O
n Tuesday, central New Yorkers will select their next representative for the NY-22 district in the United States House of Representatives. The race — between incumbent republican Rep. Brandon Williams and democratic State Sen. John Mannion — is attracting national attention as the only red House district considered likely to flip blue.
This year, the gap between Democrat and Republican seats in the House is especially narrow, with 220 Republicans, 212 Democrats and three vacancies.
The NY-22 district includes Onondaga and Madison County, and portions of Cayuga, Cortland and Oneida County. It encompasses Syracuse University, SUNY ESF, SUNY Upstate Medical University and other higher education institutions. There are about 771,000 residents in the district, according to 2021 census data from the American Community Survey.
The congressional district was redrawn in February. It’s labeled as “lean democrat” by the Cook Political Report. A FiveThirtyEight poll conducted between Oct. 15 and 17 found Mannion and Williams tied at 46%.
The Daily Orange spoke with Mannion to understand his platforms ahead of election day. Williams’ press secretary did not respond to multiple requests for comment from The D.O.
Below is a breakdown of the two candidates’ positions on top issues for Syracuse residents.
Education
Before Mannion was elected to serve in the New York State Senate in 2020, he worked as a biology teacher and was president of the West Genesee Teachers’ Union. He said seeing his students’ reactions to the 2016 election pushed him to run for office.
As a former teacher, Mannion’s policies on education prioritize student loan forgiveness and affordable education. He said that as state senator, he’s worked to freeze tuition for the SUNY system as well as expand the state-wide Excelsior Scholarship program and TAP benefits.
“We can all agree that college is too expensive, whether it’s private or even public, and we can address things at the federal level,” Mannion said. “I do think that loan forgiveness is a part of it.”
One potential policy initiative that Mannion highlighted was linking student loan forgiveness to public service sector jobs, which he said would have economic benefits and prevent brain drain.
“We need people to go into public service, whether it be public hospitals or school districts, or beyond, into government, into our state agencies,” Mannion said. “I think that we should tie that public service to loan forgiveness.”
Mannion also addressed concerns about academic freedom on college campuses in light of the Gaza Solidarity Encampment at SU this past spring.
“We want to make sure that individuals’ First Amendment rights are protected, and I do believe mostly that Syracuse University, Upstate Medical Center and others did a good job of that,” Mannion said. “I will say that when any of that language crosses into the clear hate or threatening tone, it has to be addressed by those universities, and I think locally, they did a much better job than some other places around this country.”
When the encampment first began on SU’s campus, Williams responded with a post on X, writing, “Demands? I don’t care what your demands are. Get the hell out of our community and never come back. Those are my demands. And the clock is ticking.”
Williams later sent a statement on the GSE to The D.O.
“I take this seriously. If you allow antisemitism to fester on your campus, you’ve made an enemy of me,” Williams wrote in the May statement.
In January, Williams co-sponsored a bill that would mitigate high college costs. The legislation proposed holding colleges accountable for exorbitant tuition costs that cause debt and expanding various student aid options. During the candidates’ first debate in October, Williams said loan forgiveness programs would strain middle-class taxpayers.
As encampments appeared on college campuses across the country, Williams introduced a bill that would deny student loan forgiveness for people who were convicted at the federal or state level for their actions in campus protests. Williams wrote in a May newsletter that the bill would ensure no taxpayer dollars went to student loan clearances for people convicted at protests. The bill was sent to committee and has not since progressed.
Alex Levy | Contributing Designer
Housing
Both Mannion and Williams have addressed a need for more affordable housing in central New York and nationally.
Williams said his focus is on expanding pathways to home ownership and other affordable housing at the federal level, including public housing. In Syracuse specifically, he pointed to past work with the Syracuse Housing Authority ahead of the Interstate 81 viaduct’s removal.
“For our developers that are out there, if they’re in the private sector, there needs to be incentives in place so that they can make the numbers work for them, not just because we want them to have a profitable business,” Mannion said. “We want the units, and they’re not going to build them if it is not financially viable.”
In September, the House Committee on Appropriations approved Williams’ request to direct $45 million toward various local projects in Syracuse. In recent debates, Williams highlighted his involvement in securing a grant for the East Adams neighborhood of Syracuse and future hopes to continue its revitalization.
The candidates themselves have contrasting histories of living in the district. Mannion was born and grew up in Syracuse, and currently lives in Geddes. Williams was born in Texas and attended college in California. He moved to central New York in 2010 and lives in Sennett, outside of NY-22, according to LegiStorm.
Mannion said addressing the lead problem in housing and schools would be another priority for him if elected to the House seat. He was involved in state-provided funding for lead pipe replacement in the city and said he wants further spending to test for and remediate lead in paint and dust as well.
Micron
Both candidates have expressed support for Micron’s future semiconductor manufacturing facility in Clay, New York. Micron has faced construction delays due to environmental impact review concerns.
Mannion said Micron must adhere to the state’s environmental rules and he has faith they will do so.
“We’re duly aware of what happens when we don’t make our environment a priority, and many of our large employers and our corporations understand that if they’re going to be doing work in our districts, that we want to hold them accountable and make sure that they are functioning in an environmentally friendly way, and that’s what the Green CHIPS legislation does,” Mannion said.
Williams advocated for federal CHIPS and Science Act funding for Micron, though he previously referred to the legislation and similar incentive programs as “corporate welfare.”
National politics
Mannion and Williams have taken opposing stances on certain hot-button national issues. Mannion is pro-choice and is endorsed by Planned Parenthood. Williams is pro-life except in cases of rape, incest and protecting the life of the mother. Though both candidates support in vitro fertilization, Mannion claimed in the third debate that Williams “cannot be trusted” to protect access to it.
Mannion said he believes democracy is “at risk” this election and hopes to work on bipartisan projects if elected. He said his record as chair of the state senate’s committee on disabilities has strengthened his ability to work with colleagues across the aisle.
Both candidates have said in recent debates that they believe President Joe Biden won the 2020 election and that they will vote to certify the results of the upcoming 2024 election.
Election day is Tuesday, Nov. 5. Voting locations in Syracuse and other voter information can be found online.
Photo by Laura Lemgruber | Contributing Photographer
Published on October 31, 2024 at 1:44 am
Contact Stephanie: spwright@syr.edu
