By Jason Gabak
Editor
Incumbent Assemblyman Gary Finch, a Republican hailing from Springport in Cayuga County first earned a seat in the state assembly in 1999. Tuesday voters in the district comprised of portions of Cayuga, Cortland, Chenango and Onondaga Counties voted to return Finch to his seat in Albany.
As of 11:15 p.m., according to the New York State Board of Elections with 120 of 126 districts reporting, Finch earned 33,668 voted compared to challenger Diane Dwire, a Camillus based Democrat, who took 20,487 votes.
According to Finch Finch the past 18 years have afforded him the opportunity to learn what is important to the people of the district he represents.
Finch said he believes he has worked hard to be a voice in Albany learned about what is important to the people of his district, but has worked hard to be a voice for Central New York in Albany.
“I want to make sure we are on a level playing field,” Finch said. “There are challenges, but I have been planting seeds and hopefully I will see those seeds come to fruition.”
Finch was born in Auburn. He attended Cayuga Community College and was awarded a degree from the Simmons School of Mortuary Science in Syracuse, New York in 1966. In addition, he earned a bachelor of science degree in public administration and political theory from SUNY Empire State College in 1989.
Since 1970, Finch has been owner and chief operating officer of Brew-Finch Funeral Homes, Incorporated, which is a multi-funeral home company operating funeral homes in northern, central and southern New York State.
Finch was first elected to public office in 1979 as a village of Aurora trustee, and in 1982, he was elected mayor. During his eight years as mayor, Finch said he was successful in negotiating financial support from a local tax exempt higher education institution and planned a financially-solvent, long-term strategy for the village.
He said he was also instrumental in planning the village’s water storage and delivery system and upgrading the village’s streets.
Representing a diverse district, Finch said issues concerning agriculture, lakes and water quality and battling the increasing heroin problem in the district are among his top priorities.
