Headlines for August 23, 2022

Today is election day. According to the Ithaca Voice, as of late July, Leslie Danks Burke had outraised Lea Webb by more than 2-1. However, Webb has garnered an impressive list of endorsements including the Civil Service Employee Association of NY,  Service Employees International Union, the Working Families Party as well as a host of local Democrats including Anna Kelles, Barbara Lifton, Leslyn McBean-Clairborne, and Svante Myrick. The two are competing in the Democratic primary for the new 52nd State Senate seat.

As of August 3, in the Democratic primary for the new 19th Congressional seat, Josh Riley had more than three times the cash on hand that Jamie Cheney reported. For her part, Cheney who started her campaign later in the cycle, has picked up endorsements from Emily’s List, the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, the International Brotherhood of Electricians. However, Riley has a wider range of endorsements including those from seven county democratic committees as well as several unions, Tompkins County Progressives, and the Working Families Party.

You can vote between 6am until 9pm and find your polling place at www.tompkinscountyny.gov/boe or www.schuylercounty.us. 

In other news the Times Union is reporting that Governor Hochul announced that public school students will no longer have to “test-to-stay” in classrooms following a COVID exposure. The change in policy which reflects updated recommendations from the CDC may also be a response to criticism from Republicans who have called the Governor out for her classroom guidelines. She also hinted that she may rescind New York’s COVID-19 state of emergency next month.