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In Syracuse, the race for mayor has taken a contentious turn as supporters of Deputy Mayor Sharon Owens seek to remove two Democratic rivals, Alfonso Davis and Jimmy Oliver, from the ballot. Owens' backers have challenged the validity of the signatures collected by Davis and Oliver for the upcoming June primary. The Onondaga County Board of Elections is expected to rule on these objections next week.
According to Syracuse.com, Davis submitted 1,132 signatures, and Oliver submitted 1,258, both just above the required 1,000 signatures needed to qualify for the ballot. However, challenges have been filed against hundreds of these signatures, potentially reducing the five-way primary to a three-person race. The objections focus on issues such as non-Democratic signers and mismatched addresses.
Both Davis and Oliver have expressed their intent to fight the challenges, with Oliver stating, "This is a part of the process; this is what happens." Davis, who was removed from the ballot in a previous mayoral run, remains confident in his petitions.
The Democratic primary, set for Tuesday (June 24), will be crucial as the party holds a significant voter registration advantage in Syracuse. Early voting will take place from Saturday (June 14) to Sunday (June 22). The winner of the primary is expected to have a strong chance in the November general election.
Sharon Owens, who leads in signature submissions with 2,952, has also secured a spot on the Working Families Party line for the general election. Meanwhile, other candidates, including Pat Hogan and Chol Majok, are considering independent ballot lines.