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There is a reason why Mannion, D-Geddes, chose to highlight Micron in that opening statement. As a state senator, he was the prime co-sponsor of the Green CHIPS bill that will provide incentives to chip manufacturers. 

The state Legislature passed the bill and Gov. Kathy Hochul signed it into law in August 2022. At the time, Mannion hinted that this would lead to a significant development for the Syracuse area. 

"Central New York is positioned to play a major role in the country's strategy and Onondaga County is already home to the best shovel-ready site in the nation for a computer chip fab and the thousands of jobs it will create," he said. 

Shortly before the Green CHIPS legislation was approved, President Joe Biden signed the federal CHIPS and Science Act to bolster domestic semiconductor chip manufacturing. 

Meanwhile, in the 22nd Congressional District, Brandon Williams was a candidate in the Republican primary touting his status as a "political outsider." After Biden signed the CHIPS and Science Act, he wrote a letter to Ë®¹ûÅÉAV criticizing the legislation as "corporate welfare." 

Williams' outsider role in the 2022 campaign meant that he didn't know what was brewing behind the scenes. Central New York's federal, state and local officials were trying to convince Micron to build a massive chip manufacturing facility at the White Pine Commerce Park in the town of Clay — the shovel-ready site Mannion alluded to in his statement about the Green CHIPS bill. 

In October 2022, Micron announced it would spend $100 billion over 20 years to construct chip fabs in Onondaga County — the largest private investment in U.S. history. Biden visited the Syracuse area for a victory lap. Mannion was there. 

The following summer, Mannion launched his campaign for the 22nd Congressional District seat. He sought the Democratic nomination to challenge Williams, who won the 2022 election despite his earlier comments about the CHIPS and Science Act. 

Williams has been a proponent of the Micron project since being elected to Congress. He met with Micron President and CEO Sanjay Mehrotra and has discussed the environmental review process with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. 

But Democrats have repeatedly reminded voters about Williams' "corporate welfare" comment. When Biden returned to Syracuse in April to announce Micron would receive $6.1 billion in CHIPS and Science Act funding, he criticized Williams — who wasn't invited to the event — for his two-year-old statement. 

During his campaign for Congress, Mannion has highlighted his role in bringing Micron to central New York. When Ë®¹ûÅÉAV asked him what Congress should do to boost economic development in central New York, he responded that onshoring semiconductor manufacturing will drive job creation. He mentioned his advocacy for the Green CHIPS legislation and the Micron project. 

"Now, we have to make sure the next generation has the skills they need to succeed — and I've been preparing students for opportunities like this for 30 years," said Mannion, a former high school science teacher. As a state senator, he secured more than $5 million for apprenticeships and workforce training programs. 

"In Congress, I'll make sure the Micron project has everything it needs to succeed, including additional federal infrastructure funding and continuing to leverage the CHIPS and Science Act to benefit supply chain businesses in central New York and the Mohawk Valley." 

On Friday, House Speaker Mike Johnson visited Syracuse to headline a rally for Williams. During a press conference following the event, Johnson said Republicans "probably will" repeal the CHIPS and Science Act if they win control of Congress and the White House. 

Williams reiterated his support for the CHIPS and Science Act and Johnson clarified in a statement that the legislation "is not on the agenda for repeal." 

However, Johnson's initial comments were the subject of national news reports and social media posts. Democrats, including Mannion, criticized Republicans for their stance on the CHIPS and Science Act. It doesn't help the GOP that the party's standard-bearer, former President Donald Trump,  that the legislation is "so bad." 

Mannion addressed the CHIPS and Science Act comments with House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who was in Syracuse Saturday. He recalled seeing the job losses decades before in central New York and how that motivated him, as a state senator, to push for passage of the Green CHIPS bill. 

"When CHIPS and Science was moving through the federal level, New York state would've been boxed out if we had not got that legislation done," he said. "We did and just a couple months later, Micron announces the largest private investment in the history of this country." 

Jeffries and Mannion said the comments by Johnson and Trump show they don't understand central New York. Mannion also mentioned Williams' "corporate welfare" remark. 

"That's why this election is so important," he continued. "We need someone who is a good reflection of NY-22 and understands its history." 

On Tuesday, Mannion hopes voters will recognize his central New York roots — and unwavering support for Micron's investment in the region.