Syracuse Common Councilor Chol Majok is joining the race for Congress to succeed U.S. Rep. John Katko.
According to a statement of candidacy form on the Federal Elections Commission’s website, Majok is seeking the 24th Congressional District House seat based in Central New York, becoming the fourth Democrat to enter the contest.
Majok made history in 2019 when he became the first former refugee to win elected office in Onondaga County. The former “Lost Boy” from Sudan currently represents Syracuse’s 3rd District.
Francis Conole, who ran for Congress in 2020, as well as Steven Wesley Holden Sr. and Sarah Klee Hood, are vying for the Democratic nomination in what is currently New York’s 24th Congressional District. The redistricting process is still underway at the state level.
The Onondaga County Democratic Committee will decide on a designated candidate in the next few weeks. The Syracuse-based district has not elected a Democrat to Congress since 2012.
Katko, a Republican, announced a week ago he would not seek a fifth term. Tim Ko and John Murtari are the Republicans currently seeking the seat.
