Public Service Announcement:

A Step in the Right Direction from the Onondaga County Democratic Committee

The Onondaga County Democratic Committee recently announced a Candidate Information Session for people who are considering running for office in 2026. While this may sound routine in some places, it is worth acknowledging that this type of proactive, public facing candidate education has not always been common locally. Because of that, it deserves recognition.

The session will take place on Wednesday, December 17th at 6:30 pm at OCDC headquarters, located at 615 West Genesee Street in Syracuse. According to the announcement, the event will walk prospective candidates through the party’s designation process, explain how to get on the ballot, and outline the first steps involved in creating a campaign committee. Attendees will also receive an overview of the campaign calendar and what candidates should expect to be doing throughout the year.

For anyone who has ever considered running for office but felt unsure where to start, this is useful information. Campaign mechanics are often treated as insider knowledge, passed along informally or learned the hard way. Making this information accessible in a single setting lowers at least one barrier to entry, particularly for first time candidates.

I want to be clear that I still have reservations about how the local party operates, who tends to get support, and how transparent or inclusive some processes are in practice.

One information session does not resolve those broader concerns. That said, progress does not usually happen all at once. It happens in steps.

If you are interested in running for office, this is not the worst place to start. You will hear directly how the party structures its process, what the expectations are, and what timelines matter. Even if you ultimately decide to chart your own path, understanding the system as it exists is valuable.

Credit should be given when it is due. Hosting a candidate information session, advertising it openly, and putting the process on the table is a positive move. It is not the finish line, but it is a step in the right direction.