John Mannion (American politician) explained

John Mannion
State Senate:New York State
District:50th
Term Start:December 16, 2020
Predecessor:Bob Antonacci
Birth Date:8 July 1968
Birth Place:Syracuse, New York, U.S.
Party:Democratic
Education:State University of New York, Binghamton (BS)
State University of New York, Oswego (MS)

John W. Mannion (born July 8, 1968) is an American politician. A Democrat, he is currently a member of the New York State Senate representing the 50th district. He was first elected in 2020. Prior to becoming a state senator, Mannion was a biology teacher.[1] Mannion was elected to the 50th district of the New York State Senate in 2020, defeating Republican Angi Renna and becoming the first Democrat to hold the seat in more than 50 years.[2]

In June 2024, several Senate staffers accused Mannion of harassing and abusing his staff, creating a hostile work environment. Mannion denies the allegations. The New York State Senate has opened an investigation, which Mannion has agreed to cooperate with.[3] [4]

Mannion is the Democratic nominee in election for 2024. He is challenging incumbent Congressman Brandon Williams.[5]

Education and teaching career

Mannion received a bachelor's degree in biology from Binghamton University and later attended SUNY Oswego, earning a Master's of Science in secondary science education. Mannion became a high school biology teacher, teaching Biology in the West Genesee Central School District, where he also served as president of the West Genesee Teachers' Association.[1]

New York State Senate

In 2018, Mannion ran for New York State Senator in New York's 50th district and was narrowly defeated by incumbent Republican Bob Antonacci. In 2020, he ran for the seat again and won with 52.57% of the vote over Republican Angi Renna.[6]

2022 was a hotly contested year for the 50th Senate district. Mannion was predicted to lose. On election night, before counting the absentee ballots, Rebecca Shiroff led by 396 votes.[7] After a recount, Mannion was certified the winner by New York State Supreme Court Justice Scott Delconte. He had won the election by 10 votes, making it the closest race in the 2022 New York State Senate elections.[8] In 2023, he announced he would be leaving the Senate to run for New York's 22nd congressional district in the 2024 election. Mannion won the Democratic primary against Sarah Klee Hood, and will go on to face incumbent Brandon Williams.[3]

Hostile working environment allegations

On June 18, 2024, three former staffers who claim to have previously worked for Mannion accused him and his wife of fostering a hostile work environment. This included sexist, homophobic, retaliatory, and harassing comments or actions. Mannion has denied these allegations, and the New York State Senate opened an ethics investigation with which he said he would fully cooperate.[9] [10]

Committee assignments

Mannion is the chairperson of the Committee on Disabilities. He also serves as a member of the following committees:

2022

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Baker . Chris . Biology teacher John Mannion to run for 50th district NYS Senate seat . 8 November 2023 . syracuse . 4 April 2018 . en.
  2. News: 2022-05-26 . Mark. Weiner. State Sen. John Mannion is seeking election to the United States House of Representatives in New York's 22nd Congressional District.. 2022-06-17 . The Post-Standard . Syracuse . en.
  3. News: State Senator Wins Swing-District House Primary in Central New York . June 25, 2024 . The New York Times.
  4. News: Sen. Mannion responds to allegations he created toxic work environment for staff . June 21, 2024 . CNY Central.
  5. News: Mannion wins Democratic primary in battleground upstate New York House seat . June 25, 2024 . Politico.
  6. Web site: John Mannion . 2022-10-07 . Ballotpedia . en.
  7. News: Weaver . Teri . 2022-11-09 . Election 2022 coverage: Winners, losers and analysis of historic mid-terms . 2023-01-06 . The Post-Standard . Syracuse . en.
  8. News: Dowty . Douglass . 2022-12-19 . Mannion beats Shiroff by 10 votes in 50th NY Senate district; judge orders election certified . 2023-01-06 . The Post-Standard . Syracuse . en.
  9. Web site: Robert . Harding . Ex-Senate staffers accuse John Mannion of harassment, retaliation . The Citizen . 2024-06-24 . 2024-06-24.
  10. Web site: REPORT: Former Aides Accuse Sen. John Mannion of Hostile Work Environment . Fingerlakes1.com . 2024-06-20 . 2024-06-24.
  11. Web site: About John W. Mannion . 2022-10-06 . New York State Senate . en.