Bennett wins Onondaga County Legislature rematch in 15th District primary

Jo Bennett won the 15th Onondaga County Legislature district Democratic primary with about 61% of the vote, beating former county legislator Bill Kinne by a 22-point margin in a district that covers Geddes, Onondaga and Syracuse. The result gave Bennett control of the rematch and put her in position to seek the open seat in a county legislature where Democrats have only recently gained power.

The race carried added weight because it was the same matchup that went Kinne’s way in 2021, when he beat Bennett 57% to 43%. This time, county Democrats had lined up behind Kinne after Maurice “Mo” Brown, who held the district seat, chose to run for the state Assembly and left the legislature post open. Bennett’s victory reversed that earlier result and showed she was able to unite enough primary voters to overcome the party-backed challenger.

For Onondaga County residents, the fight was about more than one district line on the map. The 15th District stretches from Geddes into Syracuse and links suburban and city neighborhoods in a legislature that has only recently shifted from long Republican control to Democratic control. A 61-39 result is not a squeaker; it is the kind of margin that can shape how strongly a winner can claim a mandate heading into the fall and into the county budget and policy fights that follow.

The primary was held Tuesday, June 23, after early voting began the previous weekend, and it was one of several Democratic county-legislature contests across Central New York. The race unfolded as county voters were also being asked to weigh proposed term limits and four-year terms for legislators, a change from the current two-year terms that could land on the November ballot if approved.

Unofficial primary results are reported by the New York State Board of Elections and are later certified by county boards, usually within 15 days for a primary. For Bennett, the immediate significance is clear: she turned a previous defeat into a decisive win and changed the political map for one of the county legislature’s most closely watched districts.