State Senate Candidates to Hold Conversation on Getting a Real Seat at the Table for Upstate New York

Discussion To Be Moderated by Upstate Political Commentator Liz Benjamin

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. – Next Tuesday, July 7th, three candidates seeking three different State Senate seats across a vast swath of upstate New York, Leslie Danks Burke, Jim Barber, and John Mannion, will hold a conversation on finally getting a real seat at the table for Upstate. 

The “Candidates in Conversation,” whose districts span Central New York, the Southern Tier, and Finger Lakes regions, will be moderated by Liz Benjamin, former host of Capital Tonight and current Managing Director of Albany Marathon Strategies, who has long been an advocate for upstate advancement. The discussion will be streamed on Tuesday evening from 5-6pm on auburnpub.com.
“Our taxes are through the roof, yet we don’t have the investment here in our schools, bridges and roads, businesses and farms that other parts of the state see, and we need to upend the cozy power sharing at the top to get our fair share,” said Danks Burke. “I want my region at the table when those funds are discussed, and right now, we’re not even in the room. Our region is still suffering from the last recession, and our working families, our environment, our small businesses, our children, and our seniors won’t settle for lazy representation any longer. I’m running for State Senate because I know we can do better and, alongside leaders like Jim Barber and John Mannion, win a real seat at the table for our communities.” 
“Many folks in our region don’t have adequate access to healthcare, to broadband and cell service, to jobs, or to quality education, yet Albany forces the cost of Medicaid and unfunded mandates onto the shoulders of rural property tax payers in an irrational and out of date tax system that makes things worse,” said Barber. “As a fifth-generation farmer, I have spent my life working with my hands, managing daily challenges with creative solutions, and serving as an advocate for farmers and rural communities. That is what I will bring to the State Senate, working alongside Leslie Danks Burke and John Mannion to ensure that our communities have strong representation to shape the policies that impact our daily lives.”
“Now more than ever, Central and Upstate New York need a strong voice that can be heard in Albany,” said Mannion. “My family has lived here for generations, so I have always known the challenges our region faces as well as the strengths we have that make this area special. While our institutions, our natural resources, and our people are strong and resilient, we struggle to get a real seat at the table to adequately represent them. I am excited to work with my fellow State Senate candidates Jim Barber and Leslie Danks Burke to discuss how we can best protect, support, and advocate for this region, together.”

Leslie Danks Burke is an attorney and a longtime advocate for education, healthcare, and rural economic development. She is the daughter of farmers and a mother who, together with her husband, is raising two children in this community. A Democrat, she previously ran for State Senate in the 58th in 2016, outraising incumbent Tom O’Mara by over $200,000 and receiving more voter support from outside her party than any other challenger to a sitting incumbent that year — on either side. Since 2016, Danks Burke has remained a powerful advocate for local community engagement and honest government.

Submitted july 1, 2020 by Hayley Brundige on behalf of Leslie Danks Burke.