On Tuesday, February 22, four announced candidates for the new 24th Congressional District were vetted by both the Republican and Conservative Committees in Wayne County.

Because of the number of candidates interested in the seat, which runs from the Buffalo area up to Watertown, including all of Wayne County, there will be a Primary run off in June.

To consider for which candidate committee members will carry petitions, interviews were held. Anyone wishing to be considered in the Primary will require 1000 signatures of support from the party to gain a spot on the ballot.

Four candidates joined the two Wayne County committee members to give their backgrounds, platforms and answer questions.

Mario Fratto, who was born and raised in Geneva,  spoke of this country’s loss of traditional values, and wants a return to conservative values, which he feels are being destroyed by the radical left. 

He is a graduate of Syracuse University. He went on to receive a law degree from the University of Southern California, with a concentration in business law. Mario came home to open a law office. After practicing law for five years, he took over the day-to-day operations of his family business, Geneva Granite. 

He feels that farmers and small businesses are the backbone of this district and are being crushed by inflations and regulations. 

He sees career politicians sending our money and our jobs to China. One of his top priorities will be ending our dependence on China. He also feels that Critical Race Theory should not receive federal funds and will fight for school choice.

Chris Jacobs, is an incumbent Congressman, having served now for 1-1/2 years in the former Congressional District 27, and is seeking a bid for the newly drawn NY-24. He stated that he is looking forward to continuing his fight for farmers, small businesses, and families. He feels many of the challenges the nation faces were  caused by the incompetence and negligence of President Biden and Democrats in charge. He feels the need for conservative leaders in Congress step up and fight against unconstitutional mandates, reckless spending, and socialist policies. He says he is a strong voice for Western New York, and an advocate for government reform. 

Prior to his election to the State Senate (2016-2020), Jacobs was the first Republican Clerk elected in Erie County in 40 years. As County Clerk, Jacobs  ran the County’s Pistol Permit Division, where he received accommodation for his strong defense of 2nd Amendment rights, especially during the passage of the New York SAFE Act. He is also a small business owner (Avalon Development).  Jacobs’  first job after college was working in Washington, DC for former Buffalo Congressman and Buffalo Bills Quarterback Jack Kemp.  Jacobs grew up in Western New York. He is a graduate of Boston College and has an MBA from American University in Washington DC and a law degree from SUNY Buffalo.

Andrew McCarthy is from Olean County. He is a self-proclaimed  “America First” candidate for Congress NY-24. McCarthy is a Military Intelligence Analyst and Air Force veteran. His past political history includes  a campaign for a Virginia Congressional seat ace in 2018.

McCarthy calls himself a social conservative. He graduated from Jamestown Community College and received his bacherlor’s degree in Communications from Old Dominion University of Virginia,

McCarthy favors pro-life issues and maintaining strong borders. He feels Trump would be great as the 2024  Presidential candidate and favors many of the former president’s policies.

McCarthy worked in financial markets  before he took an unpaid internship with the House Financial Services Committee. He is currently a strategic communications officer with the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), an arm of the Department of Defense. He stated that he supports a public healthcare option for those who can’t afford insurance but don’t qualify for Medicare or Medicaid.

McCarthy lives in Oneida County currently, but plans to establish his residence within the boundaries of the 24th District now that the district is redrawn.  

 John Murtari, a native of Lyons, NY, was born to Italian Immigrants and loving parents. He is a political outsider. He won an appointment to the U.S. Air Force Academy and majored in Astronautical Engineering, graduating “Cum Laude”, 72nd in a class of 981 cadets. Later he became an Instructor Pilot in the T-37 jet.  He also received  a Minor in Philosophy at Le Moyne College and a Master’s Degree in Computer Science from Syracuse University, 1986. He is a software Engineer .

In 1994, he ran for US Congress in Syracuse (as a Democrat) and withdrew for family issues. He founded AKidsRight.Org to support Family Law reform, for equal parents in their children’s lives.

He feels that peaceful demonstrations for reform are appropriate admitted to multiple arrests for minor violations. John helped a local citizen’s group to promote dissolution of the village of Lyons

Civil Discourse, he stated, is the recognition and acceptance that two intelligent, caring, and loving people can look at the same set of objective facts … and yet make different conclusions based on their personal life experiences. This is a major reason, he said, that he decided to run.