The Syracuse University College Democrats voted to endorse Democratic congressional candidate Dana Balter on Tuesday night.

Balter, a political newcomer and visiting assistant teaching professor in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, is challenging incumbent Rep. John Katko (R-Camillus) in the 2018 congressional race. The Onondaga County Democratic Committee backed Balter in February.

The College Democrats voted by simple majority to endorse Balter at the organization’s Tuesday night meeting. Jordan Lally, acting president of the organization, said the group allowed members to talk about and question the vote before casting ballots, but the discussion was “pretty quick.”

Lally said members of the organization supported Balter’s focus on healthcare, education and criminal justice reform.

“The club’s very passionate about her,” Lally said.

Healthcare is among the main focuses of Balter’s campaign, and she supports a “Medicare-for-all” plan, she has said.  

“We have a Medicare system that works very well and is incredibly efficient,” Balter told The Daily Orange in September. “The people who benefit from it really like it, and so the simplest thing to do would be to open that program up so that anybody could access it.”

Criminal justice reform is also a centerpiece of Balter’s congressional bid. Balter wants to bring more local attention to how poverty is treated “like crime” in the U.S., she said in September.

Rules on fines, fees and money bail need to be changed to make sure people “caught in the criminal justice system are there for legitimate reasons,” she has said. Balter launched her campaign in September. In February, she trailed behind Katko in fundraising by more than $1 million.

Katko, a two-term incumbent, has become particularly unpopular among local activist groups for voting to approve the Republican Party’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

Lally said College Democrats will now work to encourage its members to participate in the election, no matter who they support. The organization is also planning to host events featuring Democrats that will be on the November ballot.

“If there happens to be someone who didn’t vote for (Balter) tonight, they are not restricted from supporting other candidates on their own,” she said.

The College Democrats’ vote comes as the field of candidates to challenge incumbent Katko grows. Balter edged out Anne Messenger, her main Democratic challenger, in February. But Juanita Perez Williams, the former Democratic candidate for Syracuse mayor in the 2017 election, plans to join the congressional race against Katko, Syracuse.com reported Tuesday evening.

The College Democrats endorsed Perez Williams during her 2017 mayoral bid.

Bill Bass, an environmental scientist, is also running as a Democratic candidate in the 24th Congressional District.

Published on April 3, 2018 at 10:00 pm

Contact Jordan: jmulle01@syr.edu | @jordanmuller18