Sam Roberts is no longer the assemblyman for the 128th district.
Roberts, who was first elected to the seat in 2010, was appointed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo as commissioner of the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance. He was confirmed by the state senate last week just before the end of the state legislative session.
Roberts retired from General Motors after 30 years. During that time, he was an active member of the United Auto Workers Local 465, acting as recording secretary, as well as chairman of Local 854’s Education and Civil Rights committees.
Before joining the assembly, Roberts served as an Onondaga County legislator from 1990 to 2000.
Roberts could not be reached for comment, but his name has been removed from the 128th’s web page on the assembly site.
The 128th district includes parts of Syracuse and the towns of Onondaga, Salina and DeWitt, as well as part of the Onondaga Nation, and its registered voters are about 45 percent Democrat.
The seat will be filled in November’s general election. A few local Democrats have already expressed an interest in the position. Roberts has indicated that he will support Syracuse Common Councilor Jean Kessner, but the Onondaga County Democratic Committee endorsed Common Councilor Pamela Hunter during a vote June 25. Former Onondaga County Legislator David Stott has also suggested he might run for the seat. If none of the three drop out before September, there will be a primary, according to Onondaga County Elections Commissioner Dustin Czarny.
No Republicans have expressed an interest in the seat, though John Sharon has challenged Roberts in the last three elections. Roberts defeated him by a comfortable margin each time.
Anyone interested in running has until July 9 to submit petitions to have their names added to the ballot. For more information, call 435-VOTE.
