To read more about why Central Current isn’t publishing a Q&A with Chris Ryan’s opponent, Nick Paro, click here. To read more of Central Current’s 2024 election coverage, learn how to register to vote and more, click here.Democrat Chris Ryan will vie to keep the New York Senate’s 50th District blue in November in what could be a highly competitive race.Ryan, the Onondaga County Legislature minority leader and a union leader, will face Republican opponent Nick Paro in a race with no incumbent, as the current representative State Sen. John Mannion seeks a Congressional seat. The race in the 50th District, which encompasses parts of Onondaga and Oswego counties, could be tight, if slightly favoring Republicans. Both parties have similar numbers of registered voters, but registered Republicans outnumber registered Democrats by about 2,000, New York State Board of Elections data shows. In the previous cycle, the race was decided by about 10 votes.Early voting begins Oct. 26, which is also the deadline for voters to register to vote. Election Day is Nov. 5.​Editor’s note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity. What’s one thing you plan to do if elected to help bring Micron to fruition? I will advocate for the much needed resources to sufficiently train the skilled trades to build the facility. I will also advocate to provide the necessary state resources for the environmental protections and infrastructure needed in and around the area.What’s one thing you plan to do to make Micron a boon for everyone? In addition to providing the necessary resources to have the facility built on time and on budget, I will continue to advocate for housing, access to healthcare, and childcare.Should Micron be unionized? As the president of a labor union, I believe that it is absolutely imperative that the workers of our state’s various organizations have the freedom to unionize to make sure that their needs are being adequately met and prioritized. A worker’s right to fair pay and safe working conditions should never be infringed upon by an employer.Since the law changed in 2019, Raise the Age has become a lightning rod topic. Do you think it should change? What should change about it? Yes, I think that it should change and we should take a step back. If there are juvenile offenders with repeat felony offenses, on behalf of the victims, we need to find a way to ensure that it does not happen again.Do you think New York State has enough tools to boost affordable housing? How would you add to those tools? The cost of housing is one of the most pressing issues facing many New Yorkers today. This past session, the legislature passed a housing plan to balance finding ways to construct new affordable, rent-stabilized housing units. [They simultaneously] also sought ways to revitalize and repurpose existing structures to serve as legalized, alternative forms of housing. However, I understand that many New Yorkers want to transition from being renters to homeowners. Our state could possibly offer more tools and resources to make homeownership less of a dream and more of a reality by finding solutions to help offset the cost of buying a home.Do you support the right to counsel in housing court? Yes, I support the right to counsel in housing court when the need is demonstrated.Do you support the Equal Rights Amendment (proposition 1 on the ballot this November)? Why or why not? I support passage of the Equal Rights Amendment this November. It provides people with protection from discrimination under the law based on race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes, and reproductive healthcare and autonomy. Discrimination in any form should be universally rejected.Do you support codifying abortion rights for people in the state? As a father of two young women, this issue is very personal for me. I support codifying abortion rights in the state because I believe that healthcare decisions should be a matter decided upon by an individual and their doctors.What would you do to fight National Grid energy rate hikes affecting working families?We need to work with our government regulatory agencies, including but not limited to the [state] Public Service Commission, about rate hikes for our electricity and gas that are rising far beyond rates of inflation and have a detrimental effect on our communities, especially senior citizens and those on fixed incomes.How will you make sure that taking construction on the Interstate-81 viaduct doesn’t worsen health outcomes for residents that live near it?  While the federal and state government have implemented a plan for the I-81/481 project, we need to ensure that there are no negative environmental impacts in and around the surrounding communities.The post 2024 election Q&A: Chris Ryan looks to keep NYS Senate’s 50th district blue appeared first on Central Current.