SYRACUSE -- The heated campaign for Onondaga County Sheriff got hotter Friday as a group of protesters called the the firing of Democratic candidate Joe Price from his job at the Justice Center.
About a dozen members of the Answer Coalition stood in front of the Sheriff's headquarters in downtown Syracuse for the noon protest. Organizer Derek Ford told CNY Central's Jim Kenyon "we as a community... will not tolerate racists or bigots working anywhere in law enforcement in the jail or on the streets."
Ford is referring to comments Price posted on Syracuse.com for which Price has apologized. Never the less, though Price won the primary against Toby Shelley, he's lost the support of the Democratic Party leadership.
Contacted by phone, Joe Price's co-campaign manager, Justin Price calls the protest a "political hit job by the Shelley campaign."
Shelley is running on the Working Families Party line. His campaign manager, Tom Newton, says Price's assertion is "unequivocally not true... This campaign did not sanction that event." Newton said. "Toby has never wished ill will on Joe Price at all."
