Chad Ryan, a candidate in the Democratic primary for the Onondaga County Legislature's 8th District. Credit: Courtesy of Chad Ryan

Editor’s note: Read more about Chad Ryan’s opponent, Tammy Honeywell, here.

Chad Ryan, a funeral home owner and former Syracuse City councilor, is running against Tammy Honey well in the Democratic primary for the Onondaga County Legislature’s 8th District.

The winner will appear in November on the ballot’s Democratic line and face incumbent Legislator Shawn Fiato, a Republican who was appointed in January by County Executive Ryan McMahon to the position.

McMahon appointed Fiato after Democratic Minority Leader Chris Ryan after Chris Ryan was elected to represent New York State’s 50th Senate district. Chad Ryan is Chris Ryan’s cousin.

Honeywell, Ryan’s opponent, is a union leader and former Onondaga County Department of Social Services worker. Ryan is a co-owner and operator of the Edward J. Ryan and Son Funeral Home, and is also a graduate of SUNY Canton and Corcoran High School. Ryan was endorsed by the Onondaga County Democratic Committee in February.

Starting next January, the 8th district will encompass parts of the city, as well as portions of the town of Geddes and Westvale.

The winner of the June 24 primary will appear on the ballot as a Democrat in the general election Nov. 4.

Central Current asked Ryan and Honeywell six questions about the issues facing their district. Below are Ryan’s responses:

What will you do to make the funding of the aquarium project a transparent process? And that your constituents will have a say in how the project proceeds?

Chad Ryan: All monies spent on the aquarium can be found on County Comptroller Marty Masterpole’s page on the county website. The administration is taking liberties in using funds from other projects to support the aquarium. My job will be to hold them accountable when the opportunity arises. If the county needs to come back to the legislature for authorization, I will provide a platform to focus on the project and transparency. If they continue to appropriate monies already under their control it will be difficult because they have shown no interest in including the public. I will always advocate for transparency in county government.

How will you help address the county’s crises of housing affordability, housing disrepair, and childhood lead poisoning?

CR: The housing crisis is a top priority for me. The district includes some of the poorest in the nation. My home neighborhood in 2023 had the highest lead levels in the county. The county needs to work with the city to leverage funds and programs to combat the issue. I will advocate through the budget for the funds and programs necessary to try and promote new housing, funds for repairing housing, and a continued effort to focus on the lead issue prevalent throughout the city.

How do you plan to work with a majority Republican legislature?

CR: Being in the minority will have its challenges and obvious disadvantages. It is our duty to provide a better county government for all our residents. To do this we will need to set aside egos and work hard to find common ground and compromise to achieve our goals.

What legislative guardrails would you establish so that Micron preserves the county’s natural resources?

CR: The Micron project has the potential to be a generationally transformative project for our region. We will need to balance being as supportive and flexible as possible while also not compromising our residents and the future of our natural resources. We will need to advocate for regulation to mitigate any negative impacts the project may create.

Would you continue to fund the Onondaga County Housing Initiative Program (O-CHIP)? Would you change anything about it? Why or why not?

CR: In our current financial situation, I would, in the short term, continue to fund it. I would like to see the metrics that support this program. For example: How many of these units supported by this program would have been in jeopardy of not being completed had these funds not been included? If this is simply a give away with limited return on investment, I would advocate that we change course and find a better use of the funds.

How would you balance the needs of your constituents in suburbs vs the needs of your constituents in the city, some of whom live in economically distressed zip codes?

CR: Most of the eighth legislative district is in the city. As a former three term city councilor, whose district overlapped with much of this district, I am very familiar with the issues and challenges facing these city neighborhoods. The town of Geddes has its own concerns and I am equally committed to advocating for them.  We are all aware, the need in the city is great, and if we can support the city and encourage it towards success it will only further strengthen our region.

Read more of Central Current’s coverage

Eddie Velazquez is a Syracuse journalist covering economic justice in the region. He is focused on stories about organized labor, and New York's housing and childhood lead poisoning crises. You can follow...