Support The Daily Orange this holiday season! The money raised between now and the end of the year will go directly toward aiding our students. Donate today.

Get the latest Syracuse news delivered right to your inbox.
Subscribe to our newsletter here.

For the first time in nearly 50 years, the Democratic Party has control of the Onondaga County Legislature.

With Sharon Owens’ historic win as Syracuse’s first Black mayor-elect and the Democrats now holding the majority of the legislature, the region is riding a so-called “blue wave.”

Democrats secured five new seats in the historically red Onondaga County Legislature on Tuesday, with 8th district legislator Chad Ryan being the last Democrat needed to flip the majority. Ryan received 75.56% of the vote against his opponent, incumbent Shawn Fiato.

The Onondaga County Legislature is the chief policy-making body for the county. The legislature is composed of six committees, with each committee reviewing and studying policy issues related to subject matter under its jurisdiction. Its annual responsibility is to review the County Executive’s proposed budget.

The legislature had 17 district seats on the ballot during Tuesday’s election, 12 of which were uncontested. The Democrats now have 10 seats, holding the majority over the Republicans.

Many of the Democratic-elects expressed disdain toward the proposed aquarium in Syracuse’s Inner Harbor, saying it’s a waste of money and city resources. Along with the halt in SNAP funding because of the government shutdown, new majority members said their election is a way to restore “faith” in the government, Central Current reported.

The Daily Orange has compiled a list of the Democratic-elects and their platforms.

4th District

Jeremiah Thompson won against Colleen Gunnip with 56.19% of the vote. He currently serves as the chair of the Liverpool Zoning Board of Appeals and as a professional writing instructor at Syracuse University.

On his website, Thompson said both his academic and various side jobs allow him to understand common struggles residents face. He wants to ensure families can “thrive” in Onondaga County, according to his website.

5th District

Ellen Block ran against Republican David Carnie, winning 56.39% of the vote as a first-time candidate. She ran for the legislature to provide stability and transparency in the “current political climate.”

She campaigned to help establish and strengthen the Onondaga community, create more job opportunities and “build on” the current central New York, according to her website.

6th District

Gregory Eriksen ran as a first-time candidate, winning against his Republican counterpart Julie Abbott with 51.92% of the vote. With the growing affordability crisis in the county, he decided to campaign for stable housing, social security protections and strengthened Medicare, according to his website.

Erikson aims to prevent further waste of taxes and “redirect” funds in valuable ways, according to the issues portion of his website. He also campaigned to ensure towns and families have resources for suitable housing.

7th District

Dan Romeo is an incumbent who ran for his seat unopposed. He’s a firefighter and a former member of the Syracuse City School District’s Board of Education.

8th District

Chad Ryan is a former Syracuse Common Councilor and currently works as a funeral director with his father, a longtime legislator, and uncle. His key priorities include maintaining low taxes for an affordable community, reducing and addressing crime and ensuring affordable housing for all residents, according to his website.

9th District

Nicole Watts ran under the Working Families Party, defeating her Republican counterpart, Bonnke Sekarore, with 56.16% of the vote. She is “committed” to representing the diverse community and ensuring the Northside’s challenges are “efficiently” addressed through economic development, according to her campaign website.

She also hopes to help historically “disinvested” neighborhoods through policies that prioritize affordable housing and support small businesses, her website states.

10th District

Elaine Denton, a former town councilor, won with 55.47% of the total vote over Republican Mark Olson. She decided to run over the county’s $1.5 billion budget, citing rising costs and growing homelessness amid plans for a new aquarium, according to her website. In her role, she wants to improve government transparency, protect green spaces and fix the current housing crisis.

15th District

Maurice “Mo” Brown is an incumbent who worked on four campaigns this election season — including Thompson’s, Denton’s, Block’s and Watts’ — and has been described as “instrumental” in helping secure the Democratic win. He began his political career in 2015 by volunteering on Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign, Central Current reported.

16th District

Charles Garland has served as a legislator in the 16th district for the past three years. During his time, he’s expressed concern over Project I-81, advocating to keep the viaduct in place. He’s said removing the viaduct doesn’t promote “connectivity,” while severing access to medical and educational facilities.

17th District

Nodesia R. Hernandez is a Democratic incumbent, serving as the legislature’s minority leader. During her time as a legislator, she announced the legislature’s cessation of support for an aquarium coming to Syracuse’s Inner Harbor and its $80 million lack of funding, she said in an interview with Central Current.

All candidates will begin their roles on Jan. 1.

Published on November 6, 2025 at 2:01 am
Contact Chloe: cfrinka@syr.edu