Republican John Sharon is hoping the third time’s the charm in his bid to represent the 128th assembly district. He’s trying to unseat incumbent Democrat Sam Roberts in a district that traditionally favors democrats. Even though voters have elected Roberts twice, Sharon says it’s clear that Roberts isn’t known to many constituents…
“As I campaigned then and now, I would do an informal poll and ask ‘Do you know who your Assemblyman is now?’ and the unofficial answer is nobody knows who it is. That tells me that there’s an opportunity. If I can get my message out there, get my name out there, I have a very good chance of winning.”
Sharon says he looks at the campaign like a job interview: it’s just a matter of reaching enough people and winning the job in their eyes before the November election. He sees the job of an Assemblyman not necessarily as a leader, but rather as a representative.
“My job is to help the community identify problems, educate the constituents and myself about what the possible remedies are and then figure out the way forward. As opposed to, ‘I know the answers, follow me,’ because what would be the point of representative government, right?”
Sharon hopes to represent the urban and suburban district despite their different needs… including disparities in education systems. However, he says that the one issue that touches both the city and suburban communities within the district equally is uncertainty about jobs:
Sharon also shared his views about the Common Core and the challenges it’s presented to students, teachers, and schools. So far, he’s not impressed with the new standards. Sharon says his daughter, who attends Jamesville-Dewitt School District, was a straight-A student until she took the Common Core test in algebra and received a score of 74:
Sharon acknowledged that although many schools in the 128th district are doing well, the city of Syracuse is still a work in progress. Sharon’s opponent Samuel Roberts lists revitalization of the economy, a ban on hydro-fracking, and a Women’s Equality Act as his major campaign platforms.
