Campbell Conversations

Across the nation, urban areas have suffered the most from the COVID-19 pandemic, and Syracuse is no exception. This week, Grant Reeher talks with the city's mayor, Ben Walsh. They discuss the fight against the pandemic and its financial implications, the issue of police conduct, and other political issues.

In 2018 the race for New York's 22nd Congressional District seat was extremely close, with Democratic challenger Anthony Brindisi defeating incumbent Rep. Claudia Tenney by just over 4,000 votes. This year, Brindisi is the incumbent, and Tenney is the challenger. This week, Grant Reeher talks with Tenney about her campaign, COVID-19, and more.

No local leader has been on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic in central New York more than Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon. This week, McMahon talks with Grant Reeher about Onondaga County's challenges and successes in responding to the pandemic, the financial impact, and whether it is safe to restart in-person classes when schools start back up in September.

The race for central New York's 24th Congressional District promises to be very competitive, as it was in 2018, where Rep. John Katko (R-Camillus) defeated Democratic challenger Dana Balter by about 5 percentage points. This year, Balter is challenging Katko again. She joins Grant Reeher to discuss her campaign and why she says a change is needed.

Rep. John Katko was last on the Campbell Conversations in May , to discuss the response to the coronavirus pandemic. He joins Grant Reeher this week to further discuss the pandemic, President Trump's leadership during the crisis, the 2020 election, and more.

In the aftermath of the police killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, as well as other instances of police brutality, sustained protests and movements for change in police policy have sprung up around the country, including central New York. This week, Grant Reeher speaks with Yusuf Abdul-Qadir, one of the leaders of The People's Agenda for Policing, and the director of the CNY chapter of the New York Civil Liberties Union.

North Country Rep. Elise Stefanik has been a leading voice for Republicans in Congress, and gained a national profile for her defense of President Trump during impeachment hearings. This November, Stefanik is being challenged by Democrat Tedra Cobb, in a rematch from 2018. Cobb talks with Grant Reeher about her campaign, and why she should represent the North Country in Congress.

Longtime Syracuse resident and political activist Howie Hawkins has run for just about every political office there in Syracuse and across New York, including mayor of Syracuse, Common Council, City Auditor, governor, Congress, and U.S. Senate. In his 25th campaign, he's running for president, after being chosen as the Green Party's nominee. This week, Hawkins talks with Grant Reeher to discuss his campaign and why he says progressives shouldn't settle for Democrat Joe Biden.

When Bob Antonacci left his central New York state Senate seat after being elected as a state Supreme Court Justice in 2019, it left a vacancy for the 50th District seat for the second time in two years, after longtime Sen. John DeFrancisco retired in 2018. This week, Grant Reeher speaks with John Mannion, a Democrat trying to win the seat in November. Mannion lost to Antonacci for the seat in 2018. He's being challenged by Republican Angi Renna.

This November, Republican Sam Rodgers is challenging incumbent state Sen. Rachel May (D-Syracuse) in the state's 53rd Senate District. This week, Rodgers talks with Grant Reeher about his campaign, the response to COVID-19, and they take a deep dive into the state legislature's response to the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, which has sparked protests over police brutality across the country.