Joanie Mahoney

Infobox_Governor
name= Joanie Mahoney


order= 3rd
office= County Executive of Onondaga County, New York
term_start= January 1, 2008
term_end=
predecessor= Nicholas J. Pirro
successor= None; Incumbent
age= 42
birth_place= Sandpoint, Idaho
death_date=
death_place=
party= Republican
profession= Lawyer
spouse= Marc Overdyk
religion= Roman Catholic
footnotes=

Joanne M. "Joanie" Mahoney (born 1965) is the County Executive of Onondaga County, New York. She is the first woman to hold this position. She took office on Tuesday, January 1, 2008.

Personal

Mahoney was raised in Syracuse, New York as the middle child of nine children [http://blog.syracuse.com/politicalnotebook/2007/09/untested_but_undeterred_she_pr.html] . Her father, Bernie Mahoney, was a member of the Syracuse Common Council and then the New York State Assembly. He was also an unsuccessful candidate for Mayor in Syracuse three times [http://blog.syracuse.com/politicalnotebook/2007/09/untested_but_undeterred_she_pr.html] .

Mahoney attended Shea Middle School and Corcoran High School in Syracuse, then received her undergraduate degree from the Martin J. Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University. Upon completing her undergraduate degree, Mahoney received her law degree from the Syracuse University College of Law [http://knightpoliticalreporting.syr.edu/democracywise/candidate_display.cfm?candidateid=9] .

She is married to Marc Overdyk and has four young sons, aged 5 to 12 [http://www.syracuse.com/articles/news/index.ssf?/base/news-0/1193821369306720.xml&coll=1] .

Career and political experience

An attorney by trade, Mahoney previously served as Criminal Prosecutor in the Onondaga County District Attorney's Office. She left work in 1997 to become a full-time stay-at-home mother, but decided to run to serve part time on the Syracuse Common Council [http://www.syracuse.com/articles/news/index.ssf?/base/news-0/1193821369306720.xml&coll=1] . She won election to the Syracuse Common Council in November 1999 and served from 2000 until 2002 [http://knightpoliticalreporting.syr.edu/democracywise/candidate_display.cfm?candidateid=9] .

She decided against running for re-election, choosing to spend more time with her children and focus on her newborn son. In 2005, she announced she would seek the office of Mayor in Syracuse, challenging incumbent Matthew Driscoll, a Democrat. She ultimately lost to Driscoll 49% to 46%, with Green Party candidate Howie Hawkins receiving 5% of the vote [http://media.www.dailyorange.com/media/storage/paper522/news/2005/11/09/News/Mahoney.Concedes.Election.Thanks.Supporters-1050884.shtml] .It was the closest mayoral race in over 80 years for Syracuse [http://www.syracuse.com/poststandard/stories/index.ssf?/base/news-0/1194429611132160.xml&coll=1&thispage=2] .

After Mahoney's victory in the 2007 County Executive race, she was inaugurated on January 1, 2008.

Mahoney was considered a potential candidate for Congressman James T. Walsh's vacant House seat in the 2008 election; however, she declined on the obvious grounds of just having assumed office as County Executive [http://www.syracuse.com/poststandard/stories/index.ssf?/base/news-13/120125500063600.xml&coll=1&thispage=2] .

County Executive election, 2007

In February 2007, long-time incumbent County Executive Nicholas J. Pirro announced his retirement. Mahoney decided to run, but failed to win the endorsement of the Onondaga County Republican Party, which endorsed Dale Sweetland, Chairman of the County Legislature [http://www.syracuse.com/poststandard/stories/index.ssf?/base/news-0/1194429611132160.xml&coll=1&thispage=2] .

Mahoney then decided to seek the Republican nomination in a party primary held on September 18, 2007. In the primary, she edged out Sweetland by only 21 votes [http://www.syracuse.com/poststandard/stories/index.ssf?/base/news-0/1194429611132160.xml&coll=1&thispage=3] . However, Sweetland's name would remain on the ballot on the Conservative Party and Independence Party lines.

During the general election, Mahoney was pitted against New York State Assemblyman, William "Bill" Magnarelli. Mahoney campaigned on bringing a "fresh start" to the County, while Magnarelli campaigned on the grounds that he was more experienced than Mahoney. She also argued that Magnarelli was too tied to Albany to understand how Onondaga County worked - something the voters should not tolerate [http://www.syracuse.com/articles/news/index.ssf?/base/news-0/1193821369306720.xml&coll=1] .

In the course of the race, Mahoney picked-up some key endorsements. She was endorsed by Syracuse Tomorrow, the political action committee of the Greater Syracuse Chamber of Commerce [http://blog.syracuse.com/politicalnotebook/2007/10/chambers_pac_backs_mahoney.html] ; The Post-Standard, the local newspaper in Syracuse [http://www.news10now.com/content/top_stories/default.asp?ArID=125084] ; and Republican presidential-hopeful Rudy Giuliani, who is very popular in upstate New York [http://www.wtvh.com/home/related/10933461.html] .

Ultimately, Mahoney won the election in a landslide victory, earning 58% of the vote to Magnarelli's 36% [http://media.www.dailyorange.com/media/storage/paper522/news/2007/11/07/News/Mahoney.Elected.Executive-3083759.shtml] .

On November 19, 2007, Mahoney announced the names of her transition team that would ease the switch from Pirro's administration to hers. As she had promised on the campaign trail, it was a bipartisan team of Republicans and Democrats. The honorary co-chairs of her transition team were Republican County Executive Nick Pirro and former Syracuse Mayor Mayor Tom Young, a Democrat [http://www.syracuse.com/poststandard/stories/index.ssf?/base/news-4/1194861481313660.xml&coll=1] .

Electoral history

Election box candidate with party link
party = Republican Party (US)
candidate = Joanie Mahoney
votes = 68,183
percentage = 58.1
change = N/AElection box candidate with party link
party = Democratic Party (US)
candidate = William Magnarelli
votes = 42,144
percentage = 35.9
change = N/AElection box candidate with party link
party = Independence Party of New York
candidate = Dale Sweetland
votes = 5,862
percentage = 5
change = N/AElection box candidate with party link
party = Working Families Party
candidate = William Magnarelli
votes = 42,144
percentage = 35.9
change = N/AElection box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party of New York
candidate = Dale Sweetland
votes = 5,862
percentage = 5
change = N/AElection box candidate with party link
party = Independent (politician)
candidate = Ed Ryan
votes = 1,083
percentage = 1
change = N/AElection box candidate with party link
party = Independent (politician)
candidate = Joanie Mahoney
votes = 68,183
percentage = 58.1
change = N/AElection box majority
votes = 26,039
percentage = 22.2
change = Election box turnout
votes = 117,292
percentage =
change =
*Mahoney ran as a Republican and under the Fresh Start Party line
*William Magnarelli ran as a Democrat and under the Working Families Party line
*Dale Sweetland ran under the Conservative and Independence Parties of New York
*Ed Ryan ran under the It's Your County Party line

Election box candidate with party link
party = Republican Party (US)
candidate = Joanie Mahoney
votes = 10,412
percentage = 49.2
change = N/AElection box candidate with party link
party = Republican Party (US)
candidate = Dale Sweetland
votes = 10,391
percentage = 49.1
change = N/AElection box majority
votes = 21
percentage = 0.1
change = Election box turnout
votes = 21,125
percentage =
change =

Election box candidate with party link
party = Democratic Party (US)
candidate = Matthew Driscoll (Incumbent)
votes = 16,470
percentage = 49.7
change = N/AElection box candidate with party link
party = Republican Party (US)
candidate = Joanie Mahoney
votes = 15,110
percentage = 45.6
change = N/AElection box candidate with party link
party = Green Party (United States)
candidate = Howie Hawkins
votes = 1,551
percentage = 4.7
change = N/AElection box candidate with party link
party = Independence Party of New York
candidate = Joanie Mahoney
votes = 15,110
percentage = 45.6
change = N/AElection box candidate with party link
party = Working Families Party
candidate = Matthew Driscoll (Incumbent)
votes = 16,470
percentage = 49.7
change = N/AElection box candidate with party link
party = Conservative Party of New York
candidate = Joanie Mahoney
votes = 15,110
percentage = 45.6
change = N/AElection box majority
votes = 1,360
percentage = 4.1
change = Election box turnout
votes = 33,131
percentage =
change =