A big weekend coming up for political candidates to canvass before the June 25th Primary. Among those stumping for votes will be County Legislature candidate Vernon Williams Jr.
He knows the 16th district includes some of the city’s most impoverished areas and people … and he’d like to give them a voice.
“They’ve been so disfranchised that they don’t want to be bothered. My voice don’t count. And in the meantime, you see other areas flourishing. Part of process is teaching people that your voice does count. You have to stand up for what you believe and what you want to fight for.”
He sees the coming I-81 construction as a great opportunity to improve lives, but only if extensive training now helps people get jobs once the project starts. And that’s not the only issue.
“I want to make sure we have advocate of affordable housing that it stays when the community grid finally being done. That’s my number one thing.”
Williams, who’s running for the seat his mother Monica Williams now holds, says he hopes to bridge some tensions between urban and suburban lawmakers.
“A flourishing city helps everybody else. So it is getting them to understand that a healthy city is a healthy Cicero, is a healthy Baldwinsville. That are some those things they cherish in the suburbs. They do have a powerful voice on the county level, but it is working with the people on [the legislature] to get things accomplished and to get things done.”
Williams is the Democratic Party’s designee and also has Working Families party backing. He faces a democratic primary challenge from Charles Garland.
RACES WITH PRIMARY CHALLENGERS:
* Indicates party designee
^ Indicates incumbent
Onondaga County Legislature
7th District: Mary Kuhn is challenging Joey Chiarenza*
9th District: Gina Iliev is challenging Peggy Chase*^
15th District: Misse Ross is challenging Bill Kinne*
16th District: Charles Garland is challenging Vernon Williams*
Syracuse Common Council
Councilor-at-Large: Rita Paniagua is challenging Steve Thompson*^ and Michael Greene*^ (two seats available)
3rd District: Emad Rahim and Chol-Awan Majok are challenging Bryn Lovejoy-Grinnell
Syracuse School Board
Commissioner of Education: Twiggy Billue is challenging Katie Sojewicz*^, Daniel Romeo*^, Tamica Barnett*, and Mark Muhammad*^ (four seats available)
