Democrat Nicole Watts declared victory in the race for the Onondaga County Legislature’s 9th District against Republican challenger Rebecca Varga.
Watts had 72% of the vote with 92% of the vote counted, according to Onondaga County Board of Elections unofficial results. Varga had 27%.
The district includes much of Syracuse’s north side.
Watts is the chair of the legislature. She is also a freshman legislator, having won the seat in a three-way race in 2025 during which Watts ran on the Working Families Party line.
Her legislative priorities include “advancing solutions for housing, infrastructure, and community stability” and “establishing transparency and engagement in county government,” according to her biography on the legislature’s website. She has also been particularly focused on New American communities in her year in the legislature, as her district is home to thousands of refugee families.
Watts ran on the Democratic and Working Families Party line, while Varga ran on the Republican and Conservative Party lines.
