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Will the GOP have a candidate for Syracuse mayor?

While a Democratic primary in the race for mayor of Syracuse features a full field, Republicans in the city have yet to come up with a candidate. So they're buying themselves a little more time to find someone to run against the winner of the Democratic primary.

Well-known republicans like State Senator John DeFransisco and Onondaga County Legislature Chairman Ryan McMahon have turned down requests to run, retired firefighter Tom Sexton is considering it, and Onondaga County Republican Party Chairman Tom Dadey says he continues talking to prospective candidates, whose names he says he is not at liberty to share at this time. To get a spot on the ballot, candidates have to start circulating petitions Tuesday in order to get 1,000 valid signatures. So to buy a little more time,  Dadey has put his own name on the petition.

"And then they are filed July 8th to July 11th, at which point, I would decline the designation and we could substitute someone else as our candidate for  mayor. So this process allows us six more weeks to come up with a candidate for mayor," said Dadey.

Republican's are at a big disadvantage in voter enrollment in the Syracuse. Dadey hasn't ruled out endorsing Pat Hogan, a Democrat,  who just announced he'll run in a Democratic  primary against Alonso Davis and incumbent Mayor Stephanie Miner. So he expects it will be a while before the dust settles on the race for mayor when it comes to the Republican line.

"We'll wait and see what happens in the next couple of weeks.  I mean the reality is, we'll find a candidate for mayor, or we may not run anybody for mayor," said Dadey.

Ellen produces news reports and features related to events that occur in the greater Syracuse area and throughout Onondaga County. Her reports are heard regularly in regional updates in Morning Edition and All Things Considered.