Independent joins NY-22 race to ditch divisiveness of ‘broken’ 2-party system
Will Staton announced his run for Congress on Oct 7. as an independent — a decision he said has been 15 years in the making. He believes differences can be overcome through unity, running on a platform that emphasizes human and civil rights. Leonardo Eriman | Photo Editor
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Will Staton, a former K–12 educator from Mississippi now living in Syracuse, announced his independent run for Congress on Oct. 7. A decision he says has been 15 years in the making.
As a self-employed independent consultant for nonprofit education spaces, Staton says he doesn’t see much good in the current political system. With his run for New York’s 22nd Congressional representative, he hopes to challenge the current two-party system.
“I thought that if I didn’t try now, I might regret it. I believe that we are in a place where if we don’t try something different, we’re not going to be able to fix our problems,” Staton said.
Focusing on K-12 education, Staton has lived all over the United States, from Memphis, Tennessee, to Washington, D.C. He’s worked as a high school history teacher and dean of students, and has done talent recruitment for schools. In 2021, Staton moved to Syracuse with his wife to be closer to her family.
Although he has no prior political background, Staton said he worries about the political climate and where it could potentially take central New York in the future. Staton said he fears the “place of divisiveness” politics has come to.
He said most problems in politics are rooted in the two-party system, saying it has “reached the end of its utility.”
“Ultimately, it was destined to arrive in a place of divisiveness like this, and it has been both intentional and unintentional,” Staton said. “It’s something of the nature of the beast.”
Adam Brandon, senior advisor at the Independent Center, said the decline of traditional parties, the rise of younger politically independent voters and AI technology are driving independents to receive a “unique leg-up” heading into the 2026 midterms.
Voters are “increasingly rejecting” the extremes from political parties and looking for different solutions, Brandon said in a statement to The Daily Orange.
“The Independent movement is poised not just to influence the conversation, but to fundamentally alter the balance of power in American politics,” he said.
New York’s 22nd Congressional District includes the city of Syracuse, Madison and Oneida counties and parts of Onondaga County. It’s considered one of New York’s more competitive swing districts, syracuse.com reported.
Democrat John Mannion currently holds the NY-22 seat and confirmed in July that he will seek re-election. As of October, two Republican challengers have launched a bid, including John Lemondes, a New York State Assemblyman, who announced a campaign in August.
Staton is the only independent candidate as of Oct. 29, according to the Federal Election Commission.
Mark Brockway, an assistant teaching professor at Syracuse University, said NY-22’s previous redistricting gave Democrats an advantage in elections. Combined with Mannion being an incumbent, he said it’s “very difficult” for independent candidates to be involved in Congressional races.
Independent candidates in the United States typically face challenges, whether it’s from ballot access or campaign momentum, Brockway said.
“What independent candidates usually try to do is they try to leverage issues that they think can bring together voters from both sides,” he said.
Staton hopes to do so through his platform, which emphasizes human and civil rights, as well as unity. He highlighted the importance of acknowledging differences between Republicans and Democrats, believing working together can overcome these differences.
With a goal to make yourself and your community better, he said he would “like to think” that everyone has a place in the U.S.
“If you’re making yourself and your community better, then by extension, you’re making this country stronger,” Staton said.
While he believes the U.S. should be more accepting, Staton does think there still needs to be control over the borders.
For issues specific to central New York, Staton said there needs to be some sort of wealth tax, where, after you’ve reached a certain threshold, your overall earnings will be taxed. The taxes would go toward projects and infrastructure to benefit all residents.
Part of his platform includes carving out exemptions for small businesses while getting rid of incentives for corporations and the “super wealthy,” he said.
“Small businesses are the bedrock of the economy. Much more than a mega corporation like Amazon,” Staton said.
While he’s excited for the job opportunities that will come from big businesses, like Micron Technology or Amazon, arriving in Syracuse, Staton wants to make sure that small businesses are still able to find new employees.
Staton noted the importance of SU students — along with students from other higher education institutions in the area — in policies and voting in elections.
The newest voting generation has grown up with a variety of new things, affecting the way we look at politics, Staton said. He recalled the COVID-19 pandemic and the potential disruption in the job market from AI.
He hopes to help alleviate the feelings of discomfort the younger generation feels. While Staton doesn’t know how much of an impact AI will have, he says he’s “committed” to having a conversation about it, admitting the technology’s potential drawbacks.
Staton hopes to build bridges instead of blaming others for problems in the government. He said he wants to “make space” for good faith actors, instead of dismissing someone based on their political ideology.
“I want to try something different, bring us together,” Staton said. “I worry the system doesn’t have enough credibility to fix the situation that it got us into.”
While Staton doesn’t yet have any set campaign events, he hopes to engage with the SU student community.
“I want to be intentional about talking to people across the political spectrum,” he said. “That’s the kind of intimidating thing about being an independent is that you don’t have a base, but that’s also the exciting thing because I get to go and try and build my own.”
Staton said he hopes to represent every person in central New York, regardless of whether they disagree on certain policies. He said he’s excited to not only connect with the “politically homeless,” but also see how much common ground exists with voters.
“Now that I’ve jumped into the deep end, it’s very different,” Staton said. “I’m putting politics at the center and saying, ‘we’ll get better policy if we fix a broken political system.’”
