In an upset, Steve Kimatian defeated Otis Jennings by 12 percent in the Syracuse mayoral primary for the Republican Party Tuesday night.

Kimatian’s friends and family were relaxed at the team’s headquarters on North Midler Avenue. Their calm lasted from the start of election night, to the end after all the food was gone. Kids were blowing up balloons and eating pizza, as the results started pouring in. Kimatian walked into the room to strong applause, and as the night progressed, the crowd only got bigger and the excitement continued to build.

‘We did it. It was absolutely phenomenal,’ Kimatian said after the victory became official. ‘The next thing on the agenda is to win the general election, and appeal to all the voters, not just the Republicans.’

Before entering the race for mayor, Kimatian was uninvolved with politics. He hosted a weekly public affairs show on a local news station, WSYR, and left his job as general counsel to Newport Television, LLC, to focus on the mayoral campaign.

‘I think the people of Syracuse are looking for a non-political person to run the city,’ said Catherine Fiorini of Eastwood, a Kimatian supporter. ‘I have faith in his campaign and would say he will win the general election. I made phone calls prior to the primary to voters urging them to come out today to vote and will continue to support Steve through to the general election.’

Kimatian did not want to address the public until he was sure he had won. When the first results came in, Kimatian was ahead with 51 percent of the vote to Jennings’ 48 percent. Over time, the margin grew larger. Even when the numbers had been calculated, showing Kimatian had won, he did not speak to the crowd.

Kimatian told his supporters that what they have accomplished thus far was just the playoffs, and now as a team they have made it to the World Series. ‘This is a marvelous victory and I want to thank you all.’

Kimatian urged Syracuse University students to get involved with politics and the 2009 mayoral race. ‘Call my office. Volunteer for me,’ he said. ‘If we want to build a better city, students should want to work with me.’

‘I think it means great things that we won the primary,’ said Jim Eagen, one of Kimatian’s top supporters, despite being a member of the Democratic Party. ‘The public has a legitimate new option. Where the democratic candidate offers the status quo, I believe that Steve has a new approach for the city and is committed to the youth, new ideas and new technology.’

Eagen was not surprised with the results, though he wasn’t sure about the race going into the night. ‘Steve was calm the whole night; he was sure that the voters were going to come out.’

Kimatian’s game plan going into the primaries was to meet as many people in the district as possible. Now he plans to raise as much money as he can and gain the support of not only Republicans in Syracuse, but also the city’s Democrats and Independents. Kimatian is also running on the Independent party line.

‘We are going to use all means we can to get to the voters. We want to reach every individual to benefit the city,’ Kimatian said.

Eagen said seeing the work, Kimatian has put into the campaign, has been motivating.

‘When your leader is working harder than anyone else you know, you are going to be motivated, no matter the party they are associated with,’ he said.

rltoback@syr.edu

Published on September 15, 2009 at 12:00 pm