Monroe County Legislature up for grabs in 2023 election. What to know

The direction of the Monroe County Legislature is at stake this fall with contested races in 13 of 29 legislative districts and Democrats vying to gain control for the first time in decades.

Republicans currently control the Legislature by the slimmest of margins. Democrats actually hold 15 spots in the 29-person body, but one of them, Legislature President Sabrina LaMar, caucuses with the Republicans.

LaMar is not on the November ballot, though, having lost badly to the more progressive Rose Bonnick.

Leadership of the Legislature will ultimately be decided in a few swing districts. The most closely watched is the rematch in the 16th District in Irondequoit. Democrat Dave Long defeated Republican Joe Carbone, then the Legislature's president, in 2021.

Carbone is running again and has raised nearly $100,000 so far, more than any other individual candidate and more than twice as much as Long.

Most legislative districts have changed shape since the last election after decennial redistricting. Three incumbent legislators — John Baynes of East Rochester, Sean Delehanty of Fairport and Rachel Barnhart of the Beechwood neighborhood in Rochester — are running to represent new districts.

The executive branch of county government is on the ballot as well. Incumbent County Executive Adam Bello is being challenged by former Gates Supervisor Mark Assini, a Republican. Bello raised more than five times as much money as Assini in the most recent reporting period: $511,000 to his opponent's $76,000.

Election Day is Nov. 7, and early voting begins Oct. 28. You can look up where you are registered to vote, and which polling place you can attend, at voterlookup.elections.ny.gov.

We will post the election results for Monroe County as they become available.

Monroe County Legislature District 1 (Parma and northwest Greece)

Republican Blake Keller, the current incumbent, is running unopposed. A former Parma town board member, he was first elected in 2021.

Monroe County Legislature District 2 (Hamlin, Clarkson and north Sweden, including Brockport)

Republican Jackie Smith, the current incumbent, is running unopposed. A former Clarkson Town Board member, she was first elected in 2019.

Monroe County Legislature District 3 (North Chili)

Republican incumbent Tracy DiFlorio is facing a challenge from Democrat Marvin Stepherson.

DiFlorio, first elected in 2016, is a former Chili town board member and a quality systems training specialist at Bausch and Lomb. She is also on the Putting People First party line.

Stepherson is a former Gates Chili school board member and an adjunct professor at Monroe Community College and Roberts Wesleyan University.

Monroe County Legislature District 4 (Gates)

Republican Virginia McIntyre is running against Rita Pettinaro on the Conservative and Monroe County party lines. McIntyre, a singer and language consultant, defeated Pettinaro, a Realtor, by 23 points in the Republican primary.

Monroe County Legislature District 5 (Rush, Mendon, south Pittsford, south Henrietta)

Republican incumbent Richard Milne is facing a challenge from Democrat Terry Daniele.

Milne also serves as mayor of Honeoye Falls. He has been in the Legislature since 2021 and also holds the Conservative party line.

Daniele, an American sign language interpreter, is making her third try for the seat after losing to Karla Boyce in 2019 and to Milne in 2021.

Monroe County Legislature District 6 (east Greece)

Republican incumbent Sean McCabe is running unopposed. He is also president of the Greece school board.

Monroe County Legislature District 7 (Greece)

Republican incumbent Kirk Morris is running unopposed. He is commissioner of public works for the town of Greece.

Monroe County Legislature District 8 (east Webster)

Republican incumbent Mark Johns faces a challenge from Democrat Mike DiTullio. Johns also has the Conservative party line, while DiTullio also has the Working Families party line.

Johns spent 10 years in the state Assembly before being elected to the Legislature in 2022. DiTullio is a teacher in the Webster Central School District.

Monroe County Legislature District 9 (east Penfield)

Republican incumbent Paul Dondorfer faces a challenge from Democrat Mel Callan. Dondorfer is also on the Conservative party line.

Dondorfer, the Legislature's deputy majority leader, was first elected in 2019. He is an investigator in the Rochester Police Department.

Callan, a nurse practitioner, unsuccessfully challenged Dondorfer in 2021 as well.

Monroe County Legislature District 10 (Pittsford, southeast Brighton)

Democratic incumbent Howard Maffucci faces a challenge from Republican Nancy Lewis.

Maffucci was the longtime superintendent of the East Rochester Union Free School District. Lewis is a registered nurse and first-time political candidate.

Monroe County Legislature District 11 (East Rochester, northwest Perinton, Fairport)

Democrat John Baynes is running unopposed. He currently represents the 18th District but is changing due to redistricting.

Monroe County Legislature District 12 (Wheatland, Riga, southwest Henrietta)

Republican Steve Brew, the leader of the Republican caucus in the Legislature, is running unopposed for re-election. He was first elected in 2015.

Monroe County Legislature District 13 (Henrietta, west Pittsford)

Democratic incumbent Michael Yudelson is facing a challenge from Republican Ethan Greene. Yudelson is also on the Working Families line and Greene is also on the Conservative line.

Yudelson, the former Henrietta supervisor, was first elected in 2019. Greene is a first-time candidate.

Monroe County Legislature District 14 (west Penfield, east Brighton)

Incumbent Democrat Susan Hughes-Smith faces a challenge from Republican Pat Reilly. Hughes-Smith is also on the Working Families line and Reilly is also on the Conservative line.

Hughes-Smith, an environmental activist and small business owner, has been in the Legislature since 2021. Reilly is the chairman of the Monroe County Republican Party.

Monroe County Legislature District 15 (west Webster, northwest Penfield)

Republican Francis Ciardi is running unopposed for re-election, replacing incumbent Republican George Hebert.

Monroe County Legislature District 16 (north Irondequoit)

Incumbent Democrat Dave Long is being challenged by Republican Joe Carbone. Long is also on the Working Families line and Carbone is also on the Conservative line.

Long is an administrator at the University of Rochester Medical Center and former West Irondequoit school board member. His narrow victory over Carbone in 2021 would have meant a majority for the Democrats had LaMar not decided to caucus with the Republicans.

Carbone is a podiatrist who served in the Legislature from 2013 to 2021.

Monroe County Legislature District 17 (south Irondequoit, northeast Rochester)

Democrat Rachel Barnhart is running unopposed, having defeated Allan Richards in the Democratic primary. She currently represents the 21st District.

Monroe County Legislature District 18 (Perinton)

Republican Sean Delehanty, an incumbent, is being challenged by Democrat Lystra McCoy. Delehanty is also on the Conservative party line.

Delehanty, a former Fairport village trustee, has represented the 11th District since 2014 but now seeks to serve in the 17th due to redistricting. McCoy is a first-time candidate for office.

Monroe County Legislature District 19 (Greece)

Republican Tom Sinclair is running unopposed. He would replace incumbent Kathleen Taylor, who is term-limited.

Monroe County Legislature District 20 (Ogden, south Sweden)

Incumbent Republican Robert Colby faces a challenge from Democrat Jaime Erskine-Pettit. Colby is also on the Conservative Party line.

Colby, a farmer, has been serving in the Legislature since 2020, and before that served from 2004 to 2014.

Erskine is a physician assistant and sexual assault forensic examiner.

Monroe County Legislature District 21 (northeast Rochester)

Democrat Santos Cruz faces a challenge from Working Families candidate Oscar Brewer Jr.

Cruz, a firefighter, defeated Brewer, a tenants' rights advocate, by 22 points in the Democratic primary earlier this year.

Monroe County Legislature District 22 (northeast Rochester)

Democratic incumbent Mercedes Vazquez Simmons is running unopposed for re-election, having defeated Jessie Parson in the primary.

Monroe County Legislature District 23 (southeast Rochester)

Democratic incumbent Linda Hasman is running unopposed for re-election.

Monroe County Legislature District 24 (southeast Rochester, west Brighton)

Democratic incumbent Albert Blankley is running unopposed for re-election.

Monroe County Legislature District 25 (Rochester)

Democratic incumbent Carolyn Hoffman is running unopposed for re-election, having defeated Nadja Justice in the primary.

Monroe County Legislature District 26 (northwest Rochester, south Greece, Irondequoit)

Democratic incumbent Yversha Roman is running unopposed for re-election.

Monroe County Legislature District 27 (southwest Rochester)

Democrat Rose Bonnick faces a challenge from Republican David Ferris. Bonnick is also on the Working Families Party line, while Ferris is also on the Conservative line.

Bonnick, an aide to state Sen. Jeremy Cooney, defeated current Legislature President Sabrina LaMar in the Democratic primary. Ferris is a first-time candidate.

Monroe County Legislature District 28 (northwest Rochester)

Democratic incumbent Ricky Frazier is running unopposed for re-election.

Monroe County Legislature District 29 (north Rochester)

Democratic incumbent William Burgess is running unopposed for re-election, having defeated Candice Lucas in the primary.

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Who is running for Monroe County Legislature in 2023? What to know