Nyatwa Bullock declared victory in the race for the Onondaga County Legislature’s 16th District against Charlene Tarver early Wednesday morning.
Bullock, a Democrat, won 79.3% of votes with 83.8% of the vote counted, according to Onondaga County Board of Elections unofficial results.
The 16th District represents Syracuse’s South Side. Bullock will succeed longtime County Legislator Charles Garland, who declared last year that he would not seek re-election despite county Democrats flipping the legislature.
This race has no Republican challengers. Bullock was the Democratic nominee after defeating Tarver by just seven votes in the primary election in the summer. Tarver remained on the ballot with the Working Families Party.
However, the results of these elections were highly contested following civil and criminal cases against Bullock for alleged voter fraud. While a judge dismissed the civil case, the district attorney found that Bullock’s campaign committed fraud, syracuse.com reported. However, he did not press charges.
Bullock was a commissioner of education at the city school district and serves as the director of Turning Point Transition, a nonprofit dedicated to youth development, per her LinkedIn.
Tarver has a background in law and public policy. She has worked as a tax and business attorney in cities across the nation. She is the founder of the Women’s Economic Institute, a nonprofit that increases leadership opportunities for women and girls of color.
Tarver served as a lawyer in Arizona but entered into a voluntary disbarment. Tarver told Central Current that she had never been indicted, charged with anything criminal, or been asked to step down from any boards; she said the disbarment was politically motivated.
Editor’s note: This is a developing story. Check back here for updates.
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