For the first time in nearly 50 years, the Onondaga County Legislature will have a Democratic majority. On Friday, the caucus announced that Nicole Watts, the legislator-elect from the ninth district, will be their chair for the next year, something she said she never thought about when she first decided to run.
“It was not my plan from the front to do that,” Watts said.
The incumbent legislator, Palmer Harvey, announced she was withdrawing from her re-election bid in April, in which a judge later ruled that no Democrat could run on the ballot. Watts ran under the Working Families Party Line, and defeated Republican challenger Bonke Sekarore and Independent candidate Kenyata Calloway on November 4.
Watts said that the caucus has many issues that they are looking at fighting while in the majority, but that the housing crisis is one of the ones that sticks out the most to her.
“With more people anticipated to move into the area, we really need to address this in a meaningful way, and ensure that those who have long called this county home are a key part of what it looks like for us to address that,” Watts said.
Due to a recent change in state election laws, Watts and the Democrats will only have one year in the majority, barring any early exits from the legislature from the caucus. Watts said this plays a role in the party’s agenda.
“We’re working together to try and look at what does it look like for us to champion some things forward in year one” Watts said. “Then hopefully lay a foundation for what it looks like to champion even more.”
This is also the first time since 1980 that there will be a check on the executive branch in Onondaga County, only the second time since the county charter was established in 1962. Watts said she called County Executive Ryan McMahon the other day, and spoke with him about Democrat’s plans for the next year.
“I spoke with our county executive the other day,” Watts said. “He has expressed that that is an interest of his as well, so I’m hopeful that we could work together on addressing that housing issue.”
Democrats swept all six races they contested on election day in the legislature, and will officially be sworn into the majority on January 2.