Republican David A. Gay notified the Onondaga County Republican Committee on Wednesday that he intends to run for the 25th Congressional District seat.

Gay, 28, a Rosewood Street resident, said he will ask the committee to make him the designated Republican candidate.

“I’m campaigning on my activist resume,” said Gay, who is active in the local tea party tax protest movement, the right to life movement, and is the 25th district coordinator for Campaign for Liberty, a non-profit concerned about the nation’s monetary policies.

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Police are accusing a Utica city council candidate of punching a poll worker during an election night scuffle.

Republican Ed Hill was charged with second-degree harassment, a violation, after Utica police said he hit a poll worker during a scuffle with Democratic opponent Frank Vescera.

According to Deputy Police Chief Mark Williams, Hill “chest-bumped” Vescera and then shoved and punched poll worker Michael Colon in the face. Police say Colon jumped in to the break up the fight and was punched. Colon was not injured.

Hill said that the allegation is not true. Final election results are pending.

Source: AP

All five of the New York City borough presidents have been re-elected.

The incumbents were largely favored to win Tuesday’s election. Democrat Ruben Diaz in the Bronx won by the largest margin against GOP challenger Allison Oldak. He had 87 percent of the vote with 100 percent of the precincts reporting.

Scott Stringer remains in Manhattan, Helen Marshall in Queens, Marty Markowitz in Brooklyn, and lone GOP representative James Molinaro on Staten Island.

Borough presidents are elected to four-year terms. They work on economic development within their boroughs, review major land use projects and propose sites for city facilities. The presidents also act as monitors of city services, and they work with the mayor on the annual budget.

Source: AP

The son of an Onondaga County legislator has been shot and killed on Interstate 690 in Geddes.

Sgt. John D’Eredita of the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office says a gunman in a vehicle on the highway shot at the van carrying Daquan Williams at around 1 a.m. Sunday.

The 21-year-old was shot in the chest, and he died at St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center after his companions brought him to the hospital.

The victim was the son of legislator Monica R. Williams, who represents the Syracuse-based 18th District in the Onondaga County Legislature.

His mother says he was an outgoing jokester who had worked as a kitchen worker and hoped to become a cook. He is survived by his girlfriend and their two children, ages 2 years and 6 months.

Source: AP

The New York Senate has given about 50 members of its staff raises, in some cases more than $10,000 a year, and has hired, transferred or promoted about 30 other workers.

The state Comptroller’s Office released the new pay data Monday. It wasn’t immediately clear how many of the staffers listed worked for Republicans or Democrats.

A director of operations programs for the Senate got a raise of more than $10,000 to make nearly $94,000 a year. Others, including an executive assistant and a communications director, each got a raise of $10,000 or higher.

A spokesman for Senate Democrats says by the end of the budget year, the Senate’s staff spending will be on par with the spending in previous years when the chamber was under Republican leadership.

Source: AP