Copyright syracuse.com
Cicero, N.Y. -- Democrat Rob Santucci has won the job of Cicero supervisor after a close race with incumbent Republican Michael Aregano. After outstanding absentee ballots were counted by the Onondaga County Board of Elections Wednesday, Santucci was declared the winner. Results are still unofficial. Santucci secured 3,021 votes, while Aregano received 2,980, according to unofficial results. Santucci won by 41 votes. Decisions in two other local town races won’t come until after a hand count. In New York, the trigger for a hand count is a 20-vote difference, or 0.5%, whichever is more. Those undecided races are between Democrat Martin Brown and Republican Lisa M. Goodwin for Onondaga town board, and Democrat William McVicker and Republican Kathleen Marinelli Brouse for Solvay village trustee in the third ward. After voting Nov. 4, Santucci was leading Aregano, a retired Cicero police officer, by 37 votes in the Cicero race. Santucci had 2,983 votes and Aregano had 2,946 votes. The loss came in the wake of a blue wave that saw numerous Democrats elected to offices more typically held by Republicans. Aregano’s party failed to designate him as its candidate earlier this year. Aregano primaried the GOP’s pick, Ari Liberman and won 528 to 450. Aregano was first elected supervisor in 2021 after serving for 21 years as a Cicero police officer. Aregano has faced accusations from his former secretary, who publicly accused him of verbally harassing her. An investigation by an outside firm hired by the town into the matter was not released to the public, and Aregano has denied the accusation. Santucci is chair of the Cicero Democrats and and a retired North Syracuse school district middle school teacher. On election night, Aregano said he’ll be back next year if he loses. “Politics is about blood, sweat and tears,” he said then. “It was worth every bit of it.”
