Dennis ends campaign for legislative seat, endorses Dawson

On Sept. 25, John Dennis, democratic candidate for the Tompkins County Legislature, released the following statement: Effective today, I am honored to endorse Deborah Dawson, a write-in candidate, for election to represent the newly-created Legislative District 7 in the Tompkins County Legislature.

Legislator Dawson has ably represented District 10 for more than seven years, and her decision to seek a third four-year term—while late in coming—is a testament to her dedication to public service.

She brings to the Legislature both a deep commitment to progressive values and a strong
command of county finances.

As a candidate in this election since February, I would have been proud to offer my own
experience and perspective in the Legislature. However, now that Legislator Dawson is in the
race, I have chosen to defer to her proven record and greater tenure in elected office. Her
leadership will be particularly important as Tompkins County confronts a difficult year ahead,
marked by budget shortfalls, a hostile administration in Washington, and significant turnover
within both the Legislature and several county departments. Another factor in my decision is
that my wife has some on-going health issues that I worry might impact my ability to be
completely focused on the Legislature over the next four years.

I extend my sincere gratitude to the many individuals who generously supported my campaign
with their time, donations or both.

Please do vote for Deborah Dawson (Democrat) as a write-in candidate on or before November
4th if you live in the new Legislative District 7, which consists of the Village of Lansing, a
southern strip of Town of Lansing and Election District 5 of the Town of Ithaca. To “write in”
Deborah Dawson on the ballot, the updated voting machines require the voter to fill-in the
bubble and write in the name in the indicated section. For more information on how to write-in
Deborah Dawson, please see my website at dennisfortompkins.com or hers at https://writein-
deborahdawson.com/