On Tuesday night, Binghamton University sophomore Conrad Taylor won the election for Binghamton City Council’s fourth district seat, beating his opponent, John Cordisco, by 80 ballots.
Taylor, who is majoring in political science, will now represent the district that encompasses the North Side of Binghamton as well as Downtown neighborhoods. It is one of seven districts represented in the council.
“I’m so proud of what we accomplished and so thankful to all of the amazing people that worked so hard on my campaign. I’m proud of the fact that the community and students came together on the Northside and Downtown to elect a new voice for our city,” Taylor said. “Most of all, I can’t wait to get to work on day one to make Binghamton a better place.”
The final vote was 458 votes to 378 in favor of Taylor, according to the Broome County Board of Elections website. He will be replacing Leah Webb, the first African-American elected to the council and the Diversity Specialist at the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at BU, who was unable to run for re-election due to the limits on the number of terms one may hold. He did not face a primary challenger.
Taylor’s term will begin in January, and will last for four years. He ran on a platform of spurring economic development Downtown and addressing the blighted housing and lack of resources on the North Side, as well as getting BU students more involved with local politics.
“We need to capitalize on the incredible momentum for development,” Taylor said at his campaign kickoff rally in February 2015. “I see a bustling riverside promenade with cafes and restaurants. I see people walking up and down Court Street after an afternoon of shopping. Binghamton’s Downtown has the potential to be a regional destination.”
Originally from New York City, Taylor will be living in Binghamton throughout his term and said he hopes to foster a relationship between the University and the Binghamton community. He said it’s important for students to get involved in the surrounding area, even if they are only in Binghamton for their college careers.
“Students need to feel like they’re part of the community before they graduate,” Taylor said in an interview with Pipe Dream last Spring. “They need to get more involved in local politics; they should get involved in policy making and community service. You meet some amazing people in this community.”
Republicans took control of the City Council seats on Tuesday night, with republican Giovanni Scaringi winning the district one seat, republican Joseph Mihalko being re-elected for the district two seat, democrat Dani Cronce winning the district three seat, republican Chris Papastrat being re-elected to the district five seat, republican John Matzo being re-elected for district six and democrat Bill Berg being re-elected in district seven.
Fred Akshar defeated Barbara Fiala in a landslide, winning the 52nd state senate seat with 42,762 to 11,588 votes. Akshar, a republican, was the former Broome County sheriff’s captain. He ran on the platform of bringing jobs to the Southern Tier, as it has received less economic development than other parts of the state. Republican Steve Cornwell claimed the District Attorney position over incumbent Gerald Mollen, with 19,612 to 19,025 votes.