Nov. 3, 2010, 6:55 p.m.
Annual dinner brings political rivals together
SYRACUSE, N.Y. - They may run negative campaign ads and bash each other to the media, but local politicians still come together on the most heated political day of the year to enjoy themselves.
Onondaga County politicians put their differences aside the afternoon of the election day, to host their 61st annual Our Lady of Pompei Election Day Spaghetti Supper. Democratic president of the Syracuse Common Council, Van Robinson, said the spaghetti and meatball dinner brings political rivals together and allows them to relax before poll results come in.
Bipartisanship
"You have your Republicans, your Democrats, your Socialists, your Conservatives, your Tea Partiers, [and] they all come together, for a short while at least, they forget their ideological beliefs, shake hands, break bread and really enjoy themselves," Robinson said.
Representatives Dan Maffei and Ann Marie Buerkle, along with state senators John DeFrancisco and Dave Valesky were all present for the event.
Other familiar faces at the event included:
- Syracuse Mayor, Stephanie Miner
- County Executive, Joanie Mahoney
- Supreme Court Justice, Tony Paris
Tradition
"I don't know of anywhere else in the country where an event like this takes place on an election day," Robinson said.
The event happens the first Tuesday of November every year.
The meal was held in the cafeteria of the North Side Syracuse parochial school and lasted until 7 p.m. The event was open for the public with the purchase of a ticket.
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