SYRACUSE MAYORAL RACE 2017

Chris Fowler disqualified from Syracuse mayoral race

Wasim Ahmad | Staff Photographer

Chris Fowler was 80 signatures short of the number required for him to appear on the ballot.

UPDATED: Sept. 4, 2017 at 9:19 p.m.

Chris Fowler, the Libertarian Syracuse mayoral race candidate, has been eliminated from the 2017 mayoral race, Syracuse.com reported.

According to the report, Fowler failed to file with the Onondaga County Board of Elections the 1,349 petition signatures needed to run as a Libertarian candidate. The signatures were due Tuesday.

Fowler told Syracuse.com he was 80 signatures short of the required number.

On Tuesday, Fowler said bags containing about 400 signatures were stolen when a petition carrier’s car was burglarized, according to Syracuse.com.



This is the second time Fowler has failed to file required paperwork with the Board of Elections during the 2017 mayoral race.

Fowler, who originally ran as a Democratic candidate, was booted from the Democratic primary race in July after he failed to submit the 1,000 signatures needed to appear on the ballot.

He received the Libertarian Party’s endorsement in June. To run on the Libertarian Party line, Fowler needed to collect 1,349 signatures by Aug. 22.

With Fowler’s elimination, six candidates remain in the race.

Laura Lavine is running as the Republican candidate, Howie Hawkins is the Green Party candidate and Ben Walsh is the Upstate Jobs Party candidate.

Juanita Perez Williams, Joe Nicoletti and Marty Masterpole are the Democratic candidates. They will face off in the Democratic primary on Sept. 12.

The general election is on Nov. 7.

CORRECTION: In a previous version of this post, the number of mayoral candidates remaining following Chris Fowler’s departure from the race was misstated. There are six mayoral candidates remaining. The Daily Orange regrets this error.





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