Note: Our story on Mannion's challenger, Kailee Buller, will be posted tomorrow.
Central New York Rep. John Mannion (D-Geddes) is running for reelection in the 22nd Congressional District. His congressional career began during the first month of the second Trump administration. Since then, he’s been a vocal critic of Trump policies, from tariffs to government cutbacks to the war in Iran. He’s blasted the president and his allies on social media at town hall meetings, on the floor of the House of Representatives, as well as massive anti-Trump rallies.
"What we’re watching in real time is a strategic dissemination of democracy," said Mannion.
And he says constituents in the district, known for electing moderates to office, are with him.
"We’re a down-the-middle area, I’ve grown up here, I feel it, I know what it’s like," said Mannion. "But I also know we know right from wrong, and I have Republicans come up to me every single day who say, 'You’ve got to stop this guy. I appreciate what you’re doing. I appreciate you standing up.'"
Mannion, a former teacher turned state senator, won in 2024 with nearly 55% of the vote, basically winning on the strength of blue Onondaga County, while losing the more rural counties in the district. Mannion said he’s done a good job serving all the voters in the district.
"I represent a lot of Republicans," he said. "So when I'm fighting for community project funding or working on constituent cases, I'm here to serve everybody just like my predecessors did, and that might not show up in the media, but I've got Republicans and Democrats working in my office working on constituent cases, and helping people every single day. And I'm very proud of the record and the responsiveness of my team, and I'm grateful for how hard they work."
Mannion diverges from the Trump administration on most issues. He said he's concerned about the continuation of the war with Iran.
"The bottom line is we have to stop this war and we have to maintain stability in the region," he said. "Another factor in this are the Houthis and what they're doing with the Red Sea. I mean, we think gas prices and diesel prices are bad now. If we cannot get oil out of the Middle East, it's really going to impact all of us and cause global chaos, honestly."
He said that’s one reason he’s continued voting yes on War Powers Act legislation that would give Congress more of a say in the war.
"There's a reason why the powers of war are enshrined into the legislature and not the executive," he said. "And that's because we're the closest contact with the people. We feel it the most. So rather than send the common folk off to war, it should be considered by the people who represent them and not, you know, an executive or a monarch. And that's what we're seeing in this scenario 100%."
On the domestic front, Mannion hears constituents worried about affordability. Inflation and housing costs are concerns, but the biggest issue he hears about is the increase in health care costs.
"What we've seen with the cuts to Medicaid and Medicare and the expiration of the Affordable Care Act tax credits, and therefore impact on great state programs, which I was proud to be a part of, like the Essential Plan, those are going away," he said. "And what's bad beyond people losing their coverage or choosing not to have coverage, is that our health care institutions are going to lose the revenue, and they're already preparing for this in a couple of different ways."
In the end, Mannion said he will continue to be a vocal critic of an administration he has said has caused a “constitutional crisis," but that doesn't mean he can’t be an effective representative of the people of central New York and the Mohawk Valley.
"We can't stop being that beacon on the hill," he said. And ultimately, yes, I'm pushing back against the president. But I am also hopeful that we can get to a point where the other party is not under his thumb and can work together."
Mannion is being challenged by Republican Kailee Buller. The 22nd Congressional District spans all of Onondaga and Madison counties, and a portion of Cayuga, Cortland and Oneida counties. It includes the cities of Syracuse, Utica, Auburn and Cortland.
Early voting runs through Sunday, Nov. 1. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3.
