Brown, an Onondaga County legislator, is running against Republican Shawn Fiato to represent New York’s 129th Assembly District on the Democrat and Working Party lines.

In the June primary, he edged out Democratic incumbent Bill Magnarelli in a race that was so close, it took a week for Onondaga County election officials to announce who won.

As we approach Nov. 3, Brown says small donors are fueling his campaign’s final push.

“I think the small donors they don’t get enough credit because it’s not flashy, but they’ve powered my campaign,” he said. “I would not be here as the Democratic nominee if it wasn’t for small donors.”

By Nicole Neuman - October 22, 2026

Maurice “Mo” Brown plans to hit the ground running if he is elected to the state Assembly in November, which he has every reason to expect. A Democrat, Brown is running in a district where Democrats outnumber Republicans more than two to one.

But his Republican opponent, Shawn Fiato, is banking her campaign on the belief that Brown’s politics are too far left for many Central New York residents, including some Democrats.

Against Brown’s well-researched and specific political agenda, Fiato offers few hard policy positions.

By Tim Knauss - October 22, 2026

New York progressives charted a path to public power at a Tuesday panel discussion at the Salt City Market. They see the plan as a means to lower utility rates and upgrade infrastructure at a time of increased power generation demand.

The panel featured: 

• New York Assemblymember Sarahana Shrestha, who represents the 103rd District

• New York City Councilmember Chi Ossé 

• Onondaga County Legislator and state assembly candidate Mo Brown 

• Onondaga County Legislature candidate Jo Bennett

• Local Democratic Socialists of America representative LouLou DiGiuseppe, who moderated the panel

By Patrick McCarthy and Eddie Velazquez - October 20, 2026

Photo by Eddie Velazquez

(Senator) May endorsed Brown’s campaign, citing his work at OCC as a success coach and time in the military as experiences in “public service.” She said these provide him with an important perspective compared to other candidates.

“When he introduces himself, he’ll always say, ‘I’m Maurice Brown, and I believe in…’ and he’s got a list of things of what he believes in,” May said. “Healthcare for all. 
Everyone deserves housing…it’s almost like that’s his last name — ‘Brown-I-believe-in healthcare-for-all.’”

By Mirren Grimason - October 8, 2026

By Senator Rachel May and County Legislator Maurice Brown - October 11, 2026

“In short, the state of New York looks to ESF to provide a workforce and work products we rely on. That reliance has a price, and for now, the college is underpaid for its important contributions to the state. Currently, the school has about $26 million in contracts with state entities, including DEC, Agriculture and Markets, Transportation, Education, the Canal Corporation, NYSERDA and Parks. That seems like a lot, but it is a bargain, because the state compensates ESF at far lower rates than private consulting firms would charge. And it doesn’t account at all for uncompensated labor: if one of us asks ESF faculty to weigh in on legislation, they usually say yes. A consulting firm would bill that work  at full cost without batting an eyelash. ESF absorbs the difference because of its commitment to public service.

We believe the state should put a higher value on that service.”

Local officials, including Onondaga County Legislator Maurice Brown, a candidate for the state Assembly, attended the event, along with state Sen. Rachel May. Brown ended the event by urging attendees to “stand up and fight back” for democracy.

“The way we fight back, we use our wallets, we use our presence, we use our vote,” Brown said. “We’ve got a lot of fighting to do, so let’s get to work.”

By Melanie Jackson - October 9, 2026

Photo by Ikia Walker 

“Last night we came together to celebrate Our Everyday Heroes! We’re grateful to have had a full room of members, organizers, community leaders, and friends celebrating six incredible people who are putting people power into action in communities across New York.

We were honored to recognize Assemblymember Grace Lee, Assemblymember Jessica González-Rojas, Onondaga County Legislator Mo Brown, Marco “August” Rey-Llanes of the Southern Tier, Antonia Francois of NYC, and Arran Thomas of Central New York. Their leadership is a reminder of what’s possible when ordinary people come together to create extraordinary changes here”

The campaign dubbed it “Project Reactivation”. It will last for five weeks and will consist of a mailer from Owens, phone banking, and two weeks of canvassing before election day, Central Current reported.

Ocasio-Cortez called upon people to elect progressive representatives again and again because they should “build it, and build it, and build it, until the dam breaks.”

There were several politicians among the audience, including state Sen. Rachel May, Onondaga County Legislature Chair Nicole Watts, Common Councilor Hanah Ehrenreich, City Auditor Alex Marion, and Assembly candidate Maurice Brown. The visit came a few days after the Central New York Working Families Party became an official chapter of the statewide organization.

By Terra Watts - September 29, 2026

In the crowd were a number of Central New York Democrats who have been vocal about changing the makeup of the local power structure. They included Maurice “Mo” Brown, a democratic socialist who upset a 28-year Assembly veteran Bill Magnarelli in a primary this year.

“I believe that housing, healthcare, and education are human rights,” Brown said. “Right now, those rights are under attack, and I’m glad that you all are standing up and fighting back.”

The event was held at a church that months before stood up for two immigrant parishioners, Adrian Ramirez and Jose Criollo, who were both detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.

By Rylee Kirk - September 28th 2026

The ballot included Bill Magnarelli, the incumbent who has held office for nearly 30 years, and Maurice “Mo” Brown, a current Onondaga County legislator and DSA candidate. Brown won the primary by 104 votes. Until this year no one had run against Magnarelli in the primaries.

By Cameron Bunger September 10, 2026

Onondaga County Legislator and Democratic nominee for state assembly Mo Brown urged the common council to seek public input in its decision.

“Have public meetings, get public input,” Brown told syracuse.com. “I think this is the beginning of the process, not the end.”

By Ryan Garipoli September 6, 2026

Onondaga County Legislator Mo Brown defeated 14-term incumbent Assemblymember Bill Magnarelli in June’s Democratic primary — and he’s now poised to come to Albany in January as one of the socialist caucus’ inaugural upstate members.

Brown, an Army Reserve veteran and former Working Families Party staffer, still needs to win November’s general election. But his prospects are looking good: It’s been 16 years since a Republican Assembly candidate reached even 30 percent of the vote in the district.

By Bill Mahoney September 3, 2026

“We’re seeing the fruits of her investing in small races in Central New York, and it’s a beautiful thing,” said Onondaga County Legislator Mo Brown, a socialist who ended Assemblymember Bill Magnarelli’s 28-year career in Albany in this year’s primary.

Magnarelli was bolstered by the county party, Gov. Kathy Hochul, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and organized labor. May was the lone high-ranking official to endorse his challenger.

By Bill Mahoney August 31, 2026

Onondaga County Legislator Maurice Brown — who unseated longtime Assemblyman William Magnarelli in July in the Democratic primary for state legislature — said the state legislature should be able to protect New Yorkers from losing Essential Plan coverage. Raising taxes on the state’s wealthiest, he said, should be a way to protect against federal cuts.

By Elijah de Castro August 18, 2026

Legislature Democrats contend that Ryan’s actions bring up questions that go beyond the term limits debate. 

“Yes, a mistake was made,” said Legislator Maurice “Mo” Brown. “However, we don’t get to break the law to overturn that mistake.” 

Brown said that just as the legislature’s “only option” was to transmit the signed adoption to the BOE, the elections commissioner’s only option was to place the law on the ballot. 

By Laura Robertson August 4, 2026

“Local Law Day has passed, so I don’t think there’s a path to get both on the ballot before August third,” Maurice Brown, legislator of the 15th District, said. “While that proposal may sound good, I don’t know if it’s legal, and I’m not willing to break the law.”

The proposal also would not resolve the Board of Elections matter blocking the existing local law that was sent out to the legislature.

By Alexandra Deryn July 31, 2026

Onondaga County Legislator Maurice “Mo” Brown is among four Democratic lawmakers from Syracuse calling for Congress to abolish ICE by defunding the federal agency.

Brown joined almost 150 state and local elected Democrats who signed an open letter to the top Democrats in Congress, Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, both of New York.

“For the safety of our constituents and to restore public trust and the rule of law, we call on you and all congressional Democrats to publicly support the abolition of ICE and to leverage your positions to defund and dismantle this rogue federal agency,” the letter said.

By Mark Weiner July 31, 2026

"It was like kerosene on an open flame," said Mo Brown, a Democrat and chair of the Ways and Means Committee. "We were already deliberating hot topics, and then this just kind of added to that."

Brown and Republican Minority Leader Brian May said the private discussion of legal options still took place and was, in contrast to the accusations of bad faith that had been made publicly, cordial and professional. No decision was made about whether to sue.

"We agreed that we weren't going to solve the world's problems in an executive session of the legislature," May said. "So we decided to take it back to our respective camps, try to narrow things down to consensus from each side's point of view."

By Dave Bullard July 28, 2026

Ways and Means Chair Mo Brown said he called Masterpole in as they considered legal action. He was not comfortable going over budget, but that seemed to be what was happening, he said.

Smiley and Masterpole both confirmed that the Legislature could go over its outside counsel budget for litigation. It would be more complicated if they went over for other reasons.

“That’s where things get a little sticky,” said Smiley, explaining that outside of litigation, the legislature could use county-provided counsel instead of outside counsel, making the expense more difficult to defend.

As the Ways and Means committee entered executive session to discuss whether or not to sue, representatives from the county attorney’s office had to leave.

By Laura Robertson July 28, 2026

Thus far, the dustup over the term-limits law has broken along party lines. Democrats provided nine of the 10 votes to approve the legislation that McMahon unintentionally signed, establishing a limit of three four-year terms for the county executive and comptroller. Republican lawmakers backed a different proposal with four four-year terms.

With a 10-7 majority, Democrats are in position to approve the litigation if they remain unified.

At Tuesday’s Ways and Means session, attorneys from both the county law department and the legislature’s outside law firm are expected to take part. The committee, chaired by Democratic Legislator Mo Brown, includes four Democrats and three Republicans.

By Tim Knauss July 24, 2026

Syracuse, N.Y -- Mo Brown was ready to lead the Onondaga County Legislature. Following the bombshell election last November, when Democrats flipped the legislature and took a 10-7 majority, Brown expected to be picked as legislature chairman.

He’d spent two years as a legislator in the Democratic minority, making incendiary speeches but with no real power. Now the tide had shifted. Brown saw an opportunity to boldly reimagine county government to focus on housing development, childcare and other needs of struggling county residents.

But his fellow Democrats did not go along. They did not make him chairman. So Brown abruptly set his sights on a new position where he thought he could make an impact.

By Tim Knauss July 14, 2026

Ruckdeschel said his decision is unrelated to sharp divides within the party exposed again last month when Mo Brown, a democratic socialist, ran an insurgent campaign to unseat 28-year incumbent Assemblyman Bill Magnarelli, D-Syracuse, in a primary election.

Magnarelli, a party titan and the longest-serving elected Democrat in the county, had the endorsement and support of the county Democratic committee’s campaign apparatus.

By Mark Weiner July 13, 2026.

Roughly 150 miles to the east in nearby Syracuse, a similar army of fired-up volunteers knocked on thousands of doors in support of Maurice Brown, a democratic socialist. The effort paid off: Mr. Brown narrowly defeated Assemblyman William B. Magnarelli, a 28-year incumbent, by 82 votes in a primary that saw about 6,700 people cast their ballots.

The primaries in New York last month underscored the continued emergence of the left as a political force. Nowhere was that more evident than New York City, where two democratic socialists defeated more established rivals in Democratic House contests, and another leftist candidate took down a House incumbent.

By Mark Sommer July 12, 2026

Democratic socialist candidates Maurice “Mo” Brown, who narrowly defeated incumbent Assembly Member Bill Magnarelli in Syracuse, and Adam Bojak, who was victorious in a Democratic Assembly primary in Western New York, both back the REST Act. The two Democratic nominees, who were endorsed by a coalition of tenant activists known as the New York State Tenant Bloc, argue the issue could sway voters struggling to make rent payments. Kandler said housing advocates called on Magnarelli to sign onto the REST Act, but never did.

“Fundamentally, our tenants need help, and I want to bring that help,” Brown said. “The REST Act is one of the ways our state government can intervene in the conversation.”

By Kate Lisa July 6, 2026

When Maurice “Mo” Brown declared victory in his race against Bill Magnarelli, he delivered the crescendo to democratic socialists’ resounding performances in statewide primary elections.

Brown became one of eight Democratic Socialists of America-backed candidates for state office to win Democratic primaries against incumbents in 2026 when he won the race for the New York State Assembly’s 129th District. 

Brown and key campaign staffers across several interviews with Central Current characterized the upset as the culmination of 10 years of frustration with the Democratic establishment, paired with optimism that the party’s voters, progressive or not, will embrace candidates offering visions bolder than the status quo.

By Patrick McCarthy and Eddie Velazquez - July 2, 2026

Yesterday, we finally received confirmation that Onondaga County Legislator Maurice “Mo” Brown defeated Assembly Transportation Chair Bill Magnarelli (D-Syracuse) in the 129th Assembly District primary.

The Democratic Socialist caught up with Streetsblog hours after the race was called in his favor and he learned he was going to have a job in 2027. Check out our interview with him here.

by Austin Jefferson - July 1, 2026

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Maurice "Mo" Brown has declared victory in the Democratic Primary for the New York State 129th Assembly District on Tuesday.

Brown held a small lead over his opponent, longtime Assemblyman Bill Magnarelli, since the Democratic Primary on June 23. That night concluded with Brown having just a 1.2% lead over Magnarelli, leaving little to no room for a decisive victory as 452 absentee ballots remained to be counted.

by Matthew Benninger - June 30, 2026

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — The results are in: Mo Brown has won the Democratic primary for the 129th Assembly District.

Brown, an Onondaga County legislator, won 3,471 votes. His opponent, longtime incumbent Bill Magnarelli, won 3,367. That’s a 104-vote difference.

Now, Brown faces Republican Shawn Fiato in November.

Magnarelli has remained in the assembly seat since 1999. He ran unopposed in every primary race since then — until this year, when Brown became his first challenger. The mere fact that Brown’s campaign had resulted in a close race, let alone a win, was huge for the young self-described “democratic socialist.”

by: Quinn Youngs - Jun 30th, 2026

Syracuse, N.Y. – Maurice “Mo” Brown has defeated Bill Magnarelli in the Democratic primary for New York’s 129th Assembly District.

Brown claimed victory Tuesday afternoon after an unofficial tally of absentee and affidavit ballot gave him an advantage of just more than 100 votes.

“Today’s election results show how urgently [Central New Yorkers] need a government that stands up to big government and works for them,” Brown posted on social media.

By Mark Weiner - June 30th

Neither candidate has declared victory or conceded, but Brown told supporters on Tuesday night that his performance sent a strong message.

“We are tired of politics as usual,” Brown said. “We are going to do better.”

If Brown ends up winning, it is because he is “committed to fighting for increased funding for Centro, the region’s public-transit system, to extend routes and enhance service, and for major upgrades to the city’s bike infrastructure, with an emphasis on more protected lanes,” according to StreetsPAC, the livable streets political action committee that endorsed Brown. “He hopes to expand the city’s scooter-share program to the entirety of Onondaga County before he leaves his current position.”

Brown gets around the district on his e-bike and opposes a state proposal to require licensing and registration for currently legal e-bikes.

By Austin Jefferson - June 24th 2026

One of the most contested primary races in the state is the democrat primary for New York’s 129th Assembly District between long-time incumbent Bill Magnarelli and Onondaga County Legislator Maurice “Mo” Brown.

According to the Onondaga County Board of Elections, as of about 12:18 a.m. on June 24, Brown is ahead with 3,365 votes, or 50.57%, putting him in front of Magnarelli, with 3,283 votes, or 49.34%, with 100% of the election day voting counts and early voting counts completed. Hundreds of potential absentee ballots may still be counted.

Magnarelli has not been in a contested Democratic Primary since he originally won his seat in 1998. The primary mirrors a divide many commentators have called out within the national Democratic Party, between progressive newcomers and more seasoned incumbents.

by: Kelly Rocheleau, Dave Longley - June 24th 2026

Brown led Magnarelli by 82 votes, 3,365 to 3,283 with all election districts reporting at 12:18 a.m. Wednesday, according to unofficial returns from the Onondaga County Board of Elections.

The final outcome will likely be decided by a count of up to 510 absentee ballots. Those ballots are likely to favor Magnarelli if they follow the trend of early and mail-in voting to date.

The Board of Elections received 51 absentee ballots this week that were not included in Tuesday night’s tabulation.

by Mark Weiner - June 25th 2026

“People are tired of politics as usual, people are tired of the system. And I’m people, myself included,” Brown said.

As of 12:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Brown held an 83-vote lead over Magnarelli. Brown led the race by a margin of 1.23%. That margin, if it holds, would not automatically trigger a recount, according to state election law.

County Board of Elections Commissioner Dustin Czarny, a Democrat, said that there are 51 mail-in ballots received that have not yet been scanned. There are also 459 mail-in ballots that could still be received. An unknown number of affidavit ballots also remains uncounted, he added.

by Eddie Velazquez, Laura Robertson and Patrick McCarthy - June 24, 2026

Onondaga County Legislator Maurice "Mo" Brown is leading the Democratic Primary Race for the 129th Assembly District.

According to the New York State Board of Elections, Brown has 3,365 votes. His opponent, incumbent William Magnarelli, has 3,283 votes. That's as of 2:08 a.m. with all 121 Electoral Districts reporting.

Brown holds a lead of 1.2% because that lead exceeds 0.5% it is expected that there will not be a hand recount.

by Matthew Benninger - June 23, 2026

“High early voting turnout could mean that people are getting more comfortable voting early and we’ll see a falloff on Election Day,” Brown said.

But he said it could also mean that the election will turn into a high-turnout race that brings out more non-traditional Democratic voters who support his campaign.

“What kind of candidate would be running for office if they didn’t think they were exciting new voters?” Brown said. “I think our message is resonating with them and they see opportunity for change and a better tomorrow.”

By Mark Weiner - June 22nd 2026

It’s a generational clash between Brown, 34, an outspoken political upstart, who is trying to topple Magnarelli, 77, a titan of local Democratic politics who has served in Albany almost as long as Brown has been alive.

The election is also an ideological battle whose outcome could help shape the direction of the Democratic Party in Central New York – especially in deep blue Syracuse – for years to come.

By Mark Weiner - June 19th 2026

Maurice Brown has been endorsed by State Senator Rachel May — significant because May is going against a fellow member of Central New York’s legislative delegation.

“It takes courage, energy, and optimism to challenge a long-time incumbent in a primary,” wrote May, who won her seat by defeating longtime incumbent State Senator David Valesky in a 2018 primary.

by Andrew Donovan - June 16 2026

County Legislator Maurice “Mo” Brown, a vocal critic of data centers, said he believed the study to be a “good thing.”

“I do want to applaud the executive,” Brown said. “I think that the county studying is going to reveal what we already know: It is not feasible to build a data center anywhere in Central New York.”

While McMahon and Brown said the county doesn’t have ultimate power over the placement of data centers — whether they’re built is often determined by town boards, zoning boards and the state power authority — the county can have some influence.

by Laura Robertson - June 15, 2026

Since entering politics, Brown says life isn’t as funny anymore. Admittedly, there’s not much comedic material to extract from lead levels in drinking water and the potential environmental impacts of the Micron project. But there are plenty of similarities between stand-up and politics.

“In some situations, they're the same,” Brown told City & State. “As a stand-up comedian, you look at life and you try and find the humor in it. Whereas an elected official, you look at life and you try and find how to make it better.”

City & State spoke with Brown last week about why he chose to challenge Magnarelli, their upcoming debate and his support for increased statewide taxes on the rich. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

By Chantal Mann - June 10, 2026.

A new political group funded by DoorDash has launched a last-minute advertising blitz in Central New York to help state Assemblyman Bill Magnarelli in his Democratic primary campaign against Maurice “Mo” Brown.

The group Local Economies Forward NY plans to spend $154,740 on mail, print and digital ads supporting Magnarelli in the final three weeks before the June 23 election, according to a disclosure report the group filed with the state Board of Elections

by Mark Weiner - June 5th 2026.

Maurice Brown is one of three Democratic Socialists of America–affiliated candidates running for New York State Assembly outside of New York City. Currently a member of the Onondaga County Legislature, Brown — who has also been endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders — is running against Democrat Bill Magnarelli, a twenty-seven-year incumbent in Central New York who hasn’t faced a primary challenge in over a decade.

Jacobin recently sat down with Brown to discuss his working-class upbringing, his experience as a county legislator, and why he thinks a democratic socialist can unseat one of the longest-serving members of the New York State Assembly.

By Roman Broszkowski - June 3rd 2026

Tenants are the majority in Syracuse and in New York state, and it is the job of elected leaders to listen to their concerns and ensure their needs are being addressed. Syracuse can become the reality we envision — a place where people can live,work, play and rest in safe and stable homes.

Passing the REST Act would provide mayors and leaders in places like Syracuse an additional tool — should we need it — to overcome this housing crisis

By Me and Jasmine Gripper - June 1, 2026 .

.

Legislator Mo Brown, who chairs the Ways and Means Committee, questioned how the law would be enforced. He suggested the proposed law would burden police with cluttered guidelines regarding the rights of protesters. 

As written, any person charged under the proposed law would receive a misdemeanor and face a fine of no greater than $250, imprisonment for no more than one year or both.

“I would like to know what the buy-in is from law enforcement,” Brown said.

Other legislators questioned how the law differed from existing federal and state protections. Burtis argued that since those laws are decades old, Onondaga County residents might not know they exist. 

by Patrick McCarthy - May 30, 2026

The proposed charter change was one of three set to be talked about by the legislature’s Ways and Means Committee this month. The other two address how the county will redistrict and how it will fill legislature vacancies.

“I’m happy to see them moving forward,” said Legislature Maurice “Mo” Brown, chair of the Ways and Means committee. “Hoping we can make these common sense reforms less contentious than last month.”

by Laura Robertson - May 22, 2026

Sen. Bernie Sanders today offered his backing in a closely watched Central New York race for a state legislature seat.

Sanders endorsed Maurice “Mo” Brown, an Onondaga County legislator running in a Democratic primary to unseat Assemblyman Bill Magnarelli in New York’s 129th District.

by Chris Baker - May 15th 2026.

Moments later, Legislator Maurice “Mo” Brown attempted to bring to the floor May’s legislation to commit $5 million in county funds to affordable housing.

But only the bill’s sponsors were allowed to bring it to the floor. Despite all seven members of the legislature’s Republican caucus sponsoring the bill, none moved to bring it back.

by Laura Robertson - May 5, 2026

Brown said his biggest accomplishment was stopping a proposed $11 million loan for the aquarium in 2025, even though Democrats were in the minority.

“We pretty much saved the community $11 million,” Brown said. “I am proud of that. That’s $11 million we can use to help the community.”

By Mark Weiner- May 5th 2026

Brown said he would consider replacing members of other boards that he had the power to appoint as Ways and Means chair.

“If we have the ability to make an appointment, we’re at least looking at it,” Brown said, adding that he and the previous Ways and Means chairs had different priorities.

“I would like someone with my values, just like they would like someone with their values,” Brown said. “And I think the public voted for us to appoint people who reflect the values they voted for.”

by Laura Robertson - May 1, 2026

Brown is aligned with some of the proposals put forth by New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who has proposed reforms to estate taxes, income taxes, and raising the state’s highest corporate tax rate. Revenue gains would cover the cost of initiatives like free buses and child care and the creation of city-owned grocery stores.

“If we try those different things and they don’t work, then it’s like, ‘okay, let’s ask working people to pay more,’” Brown said. “But to ask working people to pay more in this economy. I don’t know if I can get with that.”

by Eddie Velazquez - April 30, 2026

MOVE-IN NY started in Sept. 2025 and is designed to expand affordable homeownership through factory-built construction of units to bypass the high costs and maintenance of traditional housing.

“New York’s housing crisis is making it harder for families to find safe, comfortable homes,” May wrote in the release. “As Syracuse grows, we need to ensure there’s housing for everyone.”

The project will target a wide range of income levels across the city to ensure community integration, Mo Brown, an Onondaga County Legislator and board member of the Greater Syracuse Land Bank, said.

By Owen Smith - April 27th 2026

The move by Democratic lawmakers comes after syracuse.com | The Post-Standard reported that the aquarium friends group received a $5.7 million donation from an extension of county government, the Greater Syracuse Soundstage Development Corp., without informing county lawmakers.

Lawmakers had previously set a limit of $85.4 million of county money for the aquarium. That’s the original estimate of the cost to build the facility. When the construction costs ballooned to $103.8 million, legislators said the gap would have to be filled without local taxpayer funds.

Following the syracuse.com report, Democratic and Republican lawmakers expressed surprise they had not been told about the donation previously.

By Rick Moriarty and Tim Knauss - April 14th 2026

Democrat Maurice Brown, chair of the Ways and Means Committee, emphasized that the Democratic caucus was misdirected when it came to funding, and this proposed legislation is intended to solidify proper communication.

“We were not led to believe it was all coming from a past project being spent. We were led to believe that there were businesses interested [in donating],” Brown said.  

By Abigail Luca.- April 14th 2026

That raises a new question about fundraising, said Legislator Maurice “Mo” Brown, D-Syracuse.

Brown, perhaps the legislature’s most vocal critic of the aquarium, said he questions whether the nonprofit Friends group will be able to raise enough money to sustain operations if aquarium revenues fall short.

“I feel significantly less confident now that this project is going to be sustainable,’’ Brown said. “The only fundraising mechanism we’ve seen is taking other public money pots.”

By Tim Knauss - April 9th 2026

However, campaign finance records show Magnarelli’s campaign has so far not received unique donations from 75 in-district constituents, one of the requirements to receive matching funds from the state. The latest filing shows Magnarelli’s campaign has received small dollar donations from 55 residents of his district.

Magnarelli said Tuesday his campaign is working on courting voters and finding new donors, and that he anticipates being eligible for matching funds from the state’s program in the next round of payments in early May.

by Eddie Velazquez - March 19th 2026

Affordable housing, transportation and childcare are priorities held by three Onondaga County political activists turned local political candidates. When the three connected through the Syracuse Democratic Socialists of America, they collaborated to form a new ticket — the “Affordability Slate.”

As these issues continue to shape life in the city of Syracuse, legislature candidates Jo Bennett and Tammy Honeywell along with state assembly candidate Maurice Brown plan to run on a joint campaign focused on lifting the financial burden of Syracuse residents.

By Mirren Grimason, Vivian Collins - March 19th 2026

"I don't think there's anything nefarious, and I wish they would just release them [donor identities] so that we could put this to bed, but as long as they remain anonymous, people are going to wonder, and as long as people come to me curious, I'm going to try and seek answers," said Onondaga County Legislator Maurice Brown.

by Specrtum News Staff - March 18th 2026

Onondaga County Legislator Maurice Brown says he's primarying the eight-year Assembly Transportation Chair, in part, because of his failure to use his power to make Syracuse a poster child for upstate transportation and transit.

"If you have the strongest voice on transportation [in the legislature], and the state has a disproportionately large say of the transportation conversation, our transportation could be doing a lot better, and I'm going fight to make sure it does," said Brown, who has the backing of the Working Families Party and the Syracuse chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America.

By Austin Jefferson - March 3rd 2026

Syracuse County Legislator Maurice “Mo” Brown discussed national political and social issues at Saturday’s Africa Initiative at SU. The day before the event, Brown announced his candidacy for state assembly. Avery Magee | Photo Editor

By Mirren Grimason - February 22nd 2026

The race pits Brown, an upstart progressive Onondaga County legislator, against Magnarelli, a longtime fixture of Democratic politics.

by Laura Robertson - February 21st 2026

Onondaga County Legislator Maurice “Mo” Brown announced he will run for the New York State Assembly on Friday. Brown, an SU alum, is campaigning on affordable housing, stronger tenant protections and lowering costs. Avery Magee | Photo Editor

By Chloe Fox Rinka - February 21st 2026

Onondaga County Legislator Maurice Brown on Friday announced he will run for the New York state Assembly, challenging longtime Assemblyman Bill Magnarelli for the Democratic nomination for the Central New York seat. (Spectrum News 1 photo)

By Luke Parsnow - February 21st 2026

Brown said he agrees with Magnarelli on most issues, but they part ways when it comes to leadership style and how to address the affordability crisis.

“I think we have to either tax the rich or cut things,” Brown said. “I don’t want to cut things. So, I think we should tax the rich.”

by Mark Weiner -February 20th 2026

Legislator Maurice Brown said resident concerns justify the measure.

“We're in a moment right now in our history that we weren't in five years ago," he said. "Our community is looking for their legislators to stand up and protect them. We get calls from people saying that they’re afraid to go to school."

by Scott WIllis - February 4th 2026

The county had already spent at least $40 million, Brown said. It would be a large cost to eat. He said that he could “see the good” in the aquarium project, but had his doubts about whether the county would achieve it.

“We can’t afford for that project to fail,” Brown said.

by Laura Robertson - January 14th 2026

“They’re fear mongering, as Republicans do, but we’re going to be fair,’’ Brown said. “We’re going to be diligent. We’re going to do our homework in a way that I don’t feel homework has been done in the past.”

by Tim Knauss - January 3rd 2026

“I like my chances. I'm not going to get in the race unless I think I'm going to win," Brown said. "So part of the exploring means can I raise enough money? Can I get enough union support or local support?”

By Scott Willis - December 12th 2025

“I’m just getting a sense of what I’m getting into,” Brown told syracuse.com | The Post-Standard. “Part of the exploring is to see how much money I will raise. If people say, ‘I won’t give you a dime,’ it will change my opinion.”

by Mark Weiner - December 8th 2025

He’s opposed the aquarium in part because of his belief in using the money to make living in the county more affordable. He’s suggested the money could be used to build more housing or help tenants to stay in their homes.

by Eddie Velazquez - December 8th 2025

“We’ve been big at this legislature on process, on procedure, and to circumvent a part of that process right now seems upsetting,” said Democratic Legislator Maurice Brown.

by Laura Robertson - December 3rd 2025

“I can’t criticize the hotel plan itself, but fundamentally, this isn’t a long-term solution. It is a Band-Aid on a bullet hole and yes, you take the Band-Aid for sure, but we need real solutions for this crisis,” said Onondaga County Legislator Maurice Brown.

by Emily Kenny and Halena Sepulveda - November 19th 2025

I think we as the Democratic caucus that we're running, we did a good job of highlighting the similarities between the national and the local. And I think the, you know, the Republican Party didn't do a good enough job of standing up to Trump.

By Grant Reeher - November 15th 2025