Election Day takeaways from Oneida County, Utica, Rome

Amy Neff Roth, Utica Observer Dispatch
·5 min read

Election Day favored incumbents and Republicans in Oneida County, Utica and Rome this year, as usual, but five incumbents were ousted, including a mayor, a judge, two county legislators and a Utica councilman.

That’s according to preliminary results from the Oneida County Board of Elections.

In Utica, Common Council President Michael Galime, a Republican, defeated Councilwoman Celeste Friend, a Democrat, and school board member Robert Cardillo, running as a Conservative, in the race to replace outgoing Mayor Robert Palmieri. Having served three terms, Palmieri was not eligible to run again.

Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente Jr., right, defeated Michael Hennessy, left, as seen in those O-D file photo, on Nov. 7, 2023 to earn a fifth term as county executive.
Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente Jr., right, defeated Michael Hennessy, left, as seen in those O-D file photo, on Nov. 7, 2023 to earn a fifth term as county executive.

Galime won 61.6% of the vote, compared to 30.7% for Friend and 5.3% for Cardillo. Write-in candidates drew 2.5% of the vote.

And in Rome, former city Detective Jeffrey Lanigan defeated incumbent Mayor Jacqueline Izzo. Lanigan had defeated Izzo in the Republican primary, but she appeared on the ballot as a Conservative and received the endorsement of the Democratic, Conservative and Republican parties. Lanigan received 52.7% of the vote compared to Izzo’s 47.1%.

Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente Jr., a Republican, handily won a fifth term with 83% of the vote against Michael Hennessey, running as a TermLimitTaxCut independent.

Close races rare in 2023

The majority of candidates ran unopposed and only a handful of races were particularly close. The tightest race in the county and cities, in terms of percentages, was for the 23rd District seat in the Oneida County Board of Legislators, in which Republican Michael Gentile ousted incumbent Democrat Anthony Leone Jr. with 50.9% of the vote compared to 49%. Just 41 votes separated the two.

The other legislative turnover and the closest race of the night by votes was in the 21st District where former Legislator Lori Washburn, a Democrat, defeated incumbent Anthony Myers, a Republican by just 24 votes. She won 51.6% of the vote compared to his 48.1 percent, the second tightest rate by percentages.

In Utica, incumbent Councilman Frank Meola, from the fourth ward, was defeated by Republican Frank Carcone, who got 53.7% of the vote compared to Meola’s 46.3%.

And in the last upset, Rome Common Council President Stephanie Viscelli, a Republican, beat incumbent Democrat John Gannon to become the next Rome City Court Judge with 54.7% of the vote.

Here are the preliminary results of the other contested races in Oneida County, Utica and Rome from the elections board (Winners in bold):

Oneida County election results

NYS Supreme Court Justice, Fifth Judicial District, 2 seats 

  • Jean Marie Westlake, Republican/Conservative: 25,576

  • Peter Rayhill, Republican/Conservative: 24,315

  • Bob Cohen, Working Families: 7,931

Oneida County Executive 

  • Anthony Picente Jr., Incumbent, Republican: 29,995

  • Michael Hennessy, Independent-TermLimitTaxCut: 6,028

Oneida County Board of Legislators District 6 

  • William Maxim, Democrat: 379

  • Steven Boucher, Incumbent, Republican/Conservative: 1,280

Oneida County Board of Legislators District 10 

  • Crystal Faria, Democrat/Working Families: 586

  • George Joseph, Incumbent, Republican: 1,106

Oneida County Board of Legislators District 12 

  • Brenda McMonagle, Incumbent, Republican/Conservative: 1,487

  • James Herchek, Independent-Cut Taxes First: 360

Oneida County Board of Legislators District 15 

  • Caroline Reale, Incumbent, Democrat/Working Families: 2,289

  • James Messa, Republican/Conservative: 1,037

Oneida County Board of Legislators District 19 

  • Timothy Julian, Democrat: 1,515

  • James Zecca, Republican/Conservative: 653

Oneida County Board of Legislators District 21 

  • Lori Washburn, Democrat: 360

  • Anthony Myers, Incumbent, Republican/Conservative: 336

Oneida County Board of Legislators District 23 

  • Anthony Leone Jr., Incumbent, Democrat/Conservative: 1,062

  • Michael Gentile, Republican: 1,103

City of Utica election results

Mayor 

  • Michael Galime, Republican: 5,586

  • Celeste Friend, Democrat: 2,784

  • Robert Cardillo, Conservative: 476

President of Common Council 

  • Carmen Bossone Jr., Democrat: 3,552

  • Rocco Girozzi, Republican/Conservative: 4,756

Common Council At Large, 3 seats 

  • Julie Gederos, Democrat/Working Families: 3,776

  • Jack LoMedico, Democrat: 4,006

  • Samantha Colosimo-Testa, Incumbent, Republican/Conservative: 5,409

  • Mark Williamson, Incumbent, Republican/Conservative: 4,457

Common Council Ward 2 

  • Robert Burmaster, Incumbent, Democrat: 433

  • Javon Pratt, Republican: 240

Common Council, Ward 3 

  • Joseph Betar, Democrat/UticaFirst: 1,370

  • Michael Brigano, Republican/Conservative: 1,092

Common Council, Ward 4 

  • Frank Meola, Incumbent, Democrat/UticaFirst: 758

  • Frank Carcone, Republican: 879

Common Council, Ward 5 

  • Venice Ervin, Incumbent, Democrat/Working Families: 443

  • Michael Zalocha, Republican: 208

City of Rome election results

Rome City Court Judge 

  • John Gannon, Incumbent, Democrat/Conservative: 3,277

  • Stephanie Viscelli, Republican/JusticeinRome: 3,957

Mayor 

  • Jeffrey Lanigan, Republican/RightForRome: 3,880

  • Jacqueline Izzo, Incumbent, Conservative: 3,463

Common Council Ward 2 

  • Shelly Gardner, Democrat: 275

  • John Mortise, Incumbent, Republican: 412

Common Council Ward 7 

  • Bruce Carpenter, Democrat: 392

  • David Sbaraglia, Republican/Conservative: 866

Here are candidates who won after running unopposed:

Oneida County 

  • District attorney: Todd Carville, Republican/Conservative

  • Comptroller: Enessa Carbone, Republican/Conservative

  • Legislature District 1: Keith Schiebel, Incumbent, Republican/Conservative

  • Legislature District 2: Colin Idzi, Incumbent, Republican/Conservative

  • Legislature District 3: Norman Leach, Incumbent, Republican/Conservative

  • Legislature District 4: Cynthia Rogers-Witt, Incumbent, Republican/Conservative

  • Legislature District 5: Michael Waterman, Incumbent, Republican/Conservative

  • Legislature District 7: Gerald Fiorini, Incumbent, Republican/Conservative

  • Legislature District 8: Richard Flisnik, Incumbent, Republican/Conservative

  • Legislature District 9: David Buck, Incumbent, Republican

  • Legislature District 11: Robert Koenig, Incumbent, Republican/Conservative

  • Legislature District 13: Christopher Newton, Incumbent, Republican/Conservative

  • Legislature District 14: D. Chad Davis, Incumbent, Democrat/Conservative

  • Legislature District 16: Mary Austin Pratt, Incumbent, Republican/Conservative

  • Legislature District 17: Stephen DiMaggio, Incumbent, Republican/Conservative

  • Legislature District 20: Evon Ervin, Incumbent, Democrat/Working Families

  • Legislature District 22: Maria McNiel, Incumbent, Democrat

Utica 

  • Utica City Court Judge: Grant Garramone, Democrat/Republican/Conservative

  • Common Council Ward 1: Katie Aiello, Incumbent, Democrat

  • Common Council Ward 6: Joseph Betrus, Incumbent, Republican/Conservative

Rome 

  • City Clerk: Eric Seelig, Incumbent, Republican

  • Common Council President: John Nash, Republican/Conservative

  • Common Council Ward 1: John Sparace, Incumbent, Republican/Conservative

  • Common Council Ward 3: Kimberly Rogers, Incumbent, Republican/Conservative

  • Common Council Ward 4: Ramona Smith, Incumbent, Democrat/Working Families

  • Common Council Ward 6: Riccardo Dursi Jr., Incumbent, Republican

This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: Oneida County election results: Rome mayor loses, Galime wins in Utica