NY22: Democratic candidates talk Oneida County challenges, priorities

There are four Democratic candidates vying for the nomination in the Aug. 23 primary for New York's 22nd Congressional District.

The candidates are Francis Conole, Sarah Klee Hood, Chol Majok and Sam Roberts. All four candidates were given three prompts to introduce themselves, speak to Oneida County challenges and describe their legislative priorities. The Roberts campaign did not respond to the prompts.

The candidate responses are listed in alphabetical order by last name.

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NY 22:GOP candidates talk Oneida County challenges, priorities

Francis Conole

Introduce yourself to voters, as a candidate and person:

My name is Francis Conole and I am a Central New York native, a captain in the Navy reserves and a candidate for New York’s 22nd Congressional district. I graduated from the Naval Academy four months before 9/11 and was deployed overseas where I did multiple tours, served on the ground in Iraq and came back to work as a policy advisor under Secretaries of Defense Ash Carter and Jim Mattis. I have spent my entire life confronting serious crises, and that is what I plan to do in Congress if I am fortunate enough to serve.

What is the single biggest issue facing Oneida County residents? 

Oneida County residents are being crushed by rising costs. Right now we are seeing the price of everything going up, in part due to failed and indecisive leadership in Washington. I put out a plan to help combat these rising costs here in Central New York over six months, which includes common sense solutions like suspending the gas tax and allowing Medicare to negotiate the price of prescription drugs, and I would work with both parties to implement these ideas so Oneida County can get some relief.

What would be your first legislative priority if elected?

I would have two priorities, the first is tackling rising costs like I mentioned above. The second is working to bring investment and jobs to the 22nd district. I believe we can make Central New York a hub of clean energy and advanced manufacturing, and effective federal leadership is a key part of making that a reality. The recently passed CHIPS Bill and the opening of Wolfspeed are the types of legislation I will work to pass and the jobs I will work to bring to the district, and I will work with Democrats and Republicans to get it done.

Endorsements: Assemblymember Pam Hunter, Assemblymember Al Stirpe, Onondaga County Comptroller Marty Masterpole, Mayor of Utica Robert Palmieri, Onondaga County Legislature Linda Ervin, Onondaga County Legislator Peggy Chase, Onondaga County Legislator Bill Kinne, Onondaga County Legislator Chris Ryan, Syracuse Common Councilor-at-Large Rita Paniagua, Syracuse Common Councilor-at-Large Rasheada Caldwell, Syracuse Common Councilor Latoya Allen, Syracuse Common Councilor Pat Hogan, Town of Dewitt Councilmember Karen Docter, Mayor of Skaneateles Mary Sennett, Skaneateles Town Board Member Chris Legg. American Federation of Government Employees, DCCC Red to Blue, Equality PAC, End Citizens United, Ironworkers Local 60, New Politics, New York League of Conservation Voters, Onondaga County Democratic Committee, Oneida County Democratic Committee, Progressive Turnout Project, Sierra Club, Vote Vets, With Honor.

Sarah Klee Hood

Introduce yourself to voters, as a candidate and person:

Born and raised in Central New York, I stand on the shoulders of three generations of labor and am the first in my family to earn a college degree. I serve as an elected town councilor. As an Air Force veteran, I served as an operations officer. I led 140 troops across four divisions, managed a $25 million budget, developed federal policy, and was an air traffic controller. I’m a wife and mother raising two young daughters. My grandmother fought, my mother fought, and now I fight - to ensure they don't have to. I work in climate policy for state and federal agencies to address climate change.

What is the single biggest issue facing Oneida County residents? 

After speaking with many Oneida residents, I believe the biggest issue is the local job market. Like much of Central New York, Oneida hasn’t seen much job growth, which is needed to retain and keep local talent and also contributes to a strong local economy. I work with small businesses and create local jobs and want to bring workforce development to the federal level because there are more regions across the U.S. like Central New York, than New York City, Boston, or Los Angeles. We must invest back into our communities if we want to drive the economy forward.

What would be your first legislative priority if elected?

Campaign finance reform. It has eroded the public’s faith and trust in their elected officials and democracy. In our NY-22 Democratic primary, over $400,000 has flooded into the race by a special interest corporation, Super PAC, that is backed by a crypto-billionaire, in support of Conole. This Super PAC has paid for multiple tv ads and mailers in an effort to buy this seat, silence the voice of CNY voters, and increase their voice in D.C. This matters because upstate is home to abandoned coal factories, and they are prime real estate for crypto-ops - which are extremely taxing and damaging to the environment.

Endorsements: Utica Common Councilperson Celeste Friend, Oneida County Legislator Caroline Reale

Chol Majok

Introduce yourself to voters, as a candidate and person:

I came to the United States as a refugee and an immigrant from South Sudan and have lived in Syracuse for over 20 years. I was an unaccompanied refugee minor and foster care youth. I am married to my wife of 12 years, and we have six children together. I have 10 years of government and constituent service experience serving under two New York senators, worked in constituent service as a director under the Mayor of Syracuse, and am currently serving my second term as a city of Syracuse Common Councilor. I have also worked in private (manufacturing and housekeeping) and not-for-profit (affordable housing, workforce development, and college access) sectors.

What is the single biggest issue facing Oneida County residents?

… Affordable housing is the single most pressing matter across the district. Also, support for rural communities especially agriculture sector is a pressing matter … As somebody that was raised on a dairy and grain farm, I am very sympathetic to the struggles of agriculture and rural communities. Farmers are losing their family lands to corporations monopolizing the industry. Furthermore, farming is shrinking and as a new American, there is an opportunity to preserve through public investment to entice new Americans who wants to be farmers be farmers. Therefore, I will support initiatives that invest in farmers through loan forgiveness and fostering new credit for new farmers.

What would be your first legislative priority if elected?

Build more affordable houses to help mitigate following; shrinking housing stake, stabilize families and people, increase home ownership, reduce housing inflation, reduce eviction, and mental health that children and elderly in rural, urban, and working poor goes through due to lack of stability in housing. For mental health and substance abuse, build more temporary inpatient rehabilitation centers to help stabilize people. After that build a bridge between community’s stake holders through public investment to hire more neighborhood counselors. Mental health and substance abuse is not an individual disease, it is a community problem, and it needs to be address from a community perspective.