Cayuga County Republican Committee

06/23/2026

Bruce Blakeman for NYS Governor!
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1BHbKBcfAx/?mibextid=wwXIfr

06/21/2026

Today's video from Auburn City Councilor Craig Diego

06/19/2026

Celebrating Juneteenth and Cayuga County's Place in the Fight for Freedom

Fellow Cayuga County Republicans,

Today, as we celebrate Juneteenth, we commemorate the day when the final enslaved Americans in Texas learned of their freedom, more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. It is a day to reflect on the long struggle for liberty and the Americans who made that freedom possible.

As Republicans, we should take particular pride in the role our party played in ending slavery. The Republican Party was founded on the principle that slavery should not expand across the United States. Republican President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, and Republicans led the effort to pass the 13th Amendment, which permanently abolished slavery in America.

Here in Cayuga County, we have a unique and direct connection to that history.

Auburn's own William H. Seward, who later became President Lincoln's Secretary of State, played a pivotal role in the Emancipation Proclamation itself. When Lincoln first presented the proclamation to his cabinet, Seward advised him to wait for a Union military victory before issuing it, ensuring that the proclamation would be viewed as a declaration of strength rather than desperation. Lincoln followed that advice, and the course of American history was forever changed.

Seward was also one of the founders and earliest leaders of the Republican Party in New York State. Long before the Civil War, he was a fierce opponent of slavery and an advocate for human freedom.

Cayuga County was also home to one of the great American heroes : Harriet Tubman. After risking her life countless times to guide enslaved people to freedom through the Underground Railroad, Tubman settled in Auburn, where she spent the final decades of her life serving others and continuing her work for justice and equality.

The friendship between Harriet Tubman and William Seward is one of the most remarkable stories in our country's history. Seward gave Tubman the property that became her home in Auburn, and the two shared a mutual commitment to freedom and human dignity. In addition to fighting for freedom from slavery, Harriet Tubman was also a strong advocate for women's suffrage and the right of women to vote, a cause that Republicans of her era often supported alongside other efforts to expand liberty and equal rights. While we can never know for certain how Harriet Tubman would vote today, if she could cast a ballot in our time, I believe she would be a Republican. It is difficult to ignore that her closest political ally in Auburn was William H. Seward, a founder of New York's Republican Party, and that the Republican Party was the party that abolished slavery and fought for emancipation. I believe it is fair to say that the principles Harriet Tubman dedicated her life to advancing were the same principles upon which the Republican Party was founded and continues to fight for freedoms today.

As New York continues to promote the "Freedom Trail" honoring Harriet Tubman's legacy, I cannot help but notice that Albany seems to have gotten the story backwards once again. Auburn should not be the beginning of the Freedom Trail—it should be the destination.

After all, Harriet Tubman's journey did not start in Auburn. Auburn was where she chose to build a life, serve her community, care for others, and spend her final years. Just as freedom seekers traveled north seeking liberty, the Freedom Trail should culminate in Auburn, where one of America's greatest champions of freedom lived out her final chapter.

On this Juneteenth, let us remember that freedom is not merely a historical event. It is a principle that must be protected, celebrated, and passed on to future generations of Americans. Cayuga County stands proudly at the center of that story through the lives of William H. Seward and Harriet Tubman, two individuals whose courage and commitment to liberty helped change our nation forever.

Happy Juneteenth.

Nathan VeVone
Cayuga County Republican Chairman

06/16/2026

Doing what the Democrats do best!

The grant funding will be used to hire more school psychologists.

06/12/2026

A few silver linings from the 2026-2027 Auburn City Budget Debacle.

1. Councilor Friends of Craig Diego has proven to be exactly as advertised. Incredibly hard working, fearless, and willing to fight a bureaucracy that was clearly not giving him the support that an elected official is entitled to.

2. Councilor Rhoda Overstreet-Wilson, who unlike her fellow Democrats who assumed "defensive posture" when Craig Diego exposed problems with the budget process, and even more importantly the actual budget figures they were being spoon fed, Dr. Overstreet-Wilson took the time to examine the situation with an open mind. After analyzing what she was reading, and what she was not reading before (because it was not provided), what she was hearing and should have been told all along, she determined that she did not have the information necessary to vote for a punishing budget with an 8% tax increase. We applaud thoughtful and courageous elected officials regardless of whether we endorse them or not.

3. Accountability - for the first time in a very long time city officials who have jobs of consequence and responsibility are being held to account for disastrous decisions. Approving revenue forecasts that were from fantasy land, and ignoring warnings of structural imbalances to avoid hard decisions (election year anyone?) last year have not gone unnoticed by the taxpayers.

While these are a few silver linings, the overall budget with an 8% tax levy increase is a disaster. From the first "wish list" budget, to the misinformation about the AFD contracts, to the unveiling of an actual line item budget in June instead of February, the result is higher taxes, a budget that is still structurally unbalanced, and more tax delinquencies and foreclosures on the horizon.

Auburn taxpayers deserve better.

06/12/2026

I want to thank Auburn City Councilor Craig Diego and Councilor Dr. Rhoda Overstreet-Wilson for taking the time to carefully review the information before casting their votes.

Dr. Overstreet-Wilson explained that after reviewing the documents published on the City's website, she still had concerns and unanswered questions, stating:

"It was detailed, but it left me with more questions and more thoughts than it gave me the answers to."

That is exactly the type of thoughtful deliberation residents should expect from their elected officials. A vote is one of the most important responsibilities entrusted to public servants, and it should never be taken lightly.

Craig Diego continues to demonstrate the independent leadership and accountability that many residents expected when they elected him. He has consistently shown a willingness to ask questions, seek answers, and put the interests of taxpayers first.

I also commend Dr. Overstreet-Wilson for voting according to her conscience and her understanding of the information before her, rather than simply following a party line. Whether people agree or disagree with a particular vote, elected officials deserve credit when they take the time to evaluate the facts and make an independent decision.

A healthy government depends on open discussion, thoughtful debate, and leaders who are willing to ask tough questions before making decisions that affect our community.

Natha VeVone

Cayuga County Republican Chairman

06/10/2026

Come join us and help elect Kailee Buller to NYS Congress! It's time for a change NY!

06/07/2026

Thank You Councilor Diego for being the voice of REASON!