A pair of Cayuga County residents have announced their intentions to become new members of the Legislature in 2022, including one who may challenge a Democratic incumbent in a primary.
Auburn business owner and nonprofit founder Brian Muldrow issued a press release Saturday saying he will seek the Cayuga County Democratic Committee's endorsement to run for the Legislature's District 15 seat. Democratic Legislator Ryan Foley is in the final year of his second term representing that district, which covers an area in the west central part of the city.
Muldrow is the owner/president of The Muldrow Group, an automotive sales and insurance consulting firm, and Cayuga Drug and Alcohol Testing, a company that collects drug testing specimens for workplaces. He's also the founder of the recently launched Minority Professionals Association and serves as a mentor for SCORE and a board member of the Cayuga/Auburn Branch of the NAACP and the Booker T. Washington Community Center.
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"I love our community and my neighbors. I want to bring my business experience to bear on our challenges. We must clean up abandoned homes, ensure that our neighborhoods are safe for our children, and attract and retain jobs that can support families." Muldrow said in the press release, noting that he's a lifelong resident of the district.
Muldrow did not indicate in his press release if he would attempt to win the Democratic nomination in a primary election should the committee not endorse him, and he could not be reached for additional comment on Saturday.
Foley has not announced a reelection campaign, but Cayuga County Democratic Committee Chairman Ian Phillips said he does believe Foley intends to run. The committee plans to meet on Monday to discuss candidates for this year's elections and again in late February to finalize endorsement decisions.
As of this week, the New York state 2021 political calendar has the primary election scheduled for June 22. Candidates can begin collecting signatures seeking to run on a party line on Feb. 23.
Another potential candidate for a county Legislature seat is a familiar name for residents: former county Sheriff David Gould. The retired state trooper has sent letters to supporters announcing his intention to run for the District 5 seat currently held by Legislature Paul Pinckney of Aurelius. Pinckney is completing his third term representing the district, which includes Aurelius and Fleming, but he cannot seek reelection because of the county's term limits.
Gould successfully ran for sheriff three times, retiring in 2018 after 12 years in the seat. He's also a U.S. Army veteran.
David Gould
In his letter, Gould referenced his experience working with the Legislature during his time as sheriff, noting he was part of over 400 meetings.
"I give you my word that if elected in 2021, I will honor and respect the Legislature seat for which I seek and I will also honor, work with and respect all my fellow legislators, no matter which political party they are affiliated with," he said.
All of the eight Legislature seats up for election this year carry two-year terms, the result of a public referendum approved by voters in 2019 that will result in bringing terms for all 15 seats on the body into alignment. The purpose is to allow for potential changes in legislative districts ahead of the 2023 election.
