AUBURN - Since the time Cynthia Aikman was a child, she was involved with campaigns. This election season, Aikman believes it's her turn to run for Cayuga County Legislature.

“It's my understanding that our democracy works best when we vote and serve on jury duty, when we call and write and communicate with our elected officials and when we take our turn at public office,” Aikman said. “I have the capacity and the energy and the desire and so it's my time to take my turn.”

Aikman is running against incumbent Patrick McIntosh, R-Auburn, who currently represents the 15th district. McIntosh was appointed in March to replace the late Steven Netti, who had held that seat for more than a decade. In his short time in office, McIntosh has been reaching out to successful business people in the community to figure out what the community can do to attract businesses to the area.

Aikman, the Democratic challenger who is also on the independent Auburn Party line, is running on a platform of “cooperative governance,” she said.

“Our democracy works best when it's of, by and for the people. So, my platform is only that which I've heard from the electorate,” she said.

Going door to door in the 15th district, Aikman has seen that people are interested in regular communication with their legislator. They want to work together to solve issues in their neighborhoods and they are concerned about the high tax rates, she said.

Aikman brings 15 years of economic development experience to the table. She spent that time working for the Auburn Office of Planning and Economic Development and has lived in Auburn for 16 years. Aikman has won three separate leadership awards since 1996.

If Aikman wins, her biggest challenge will probably be her impatience, she said.

“I spend a lot of time gathering information, sorting it out ... and I'm used to looking at data, talking to people, seeing how the pieces of the puzzle fit together. Once I get a vision of how that process needs to proceed, I like to jump on it and get it going,” she said.

Great things happen when people get together with an attitude of cooperation, collaboration and partnership, and that is what is driving Aikman to run for county Legislature, she said.

“I'm excited about the opportunity to continue public service,” Aikman said.

McIntosh's experience includes the 22 years he spent in the military, which helped him learn how to make tough decisions, he said.

“My dad taught me a long time ago that life is full of difficult decisions and sometimes, you've got to be the one to make them,” said McIntosh, also the Conservative Party candidate. “I am one of those people that can do that.”

Although he will be retiring next year, McIntosh has enjoyed serving his country and sees his role in county government as a way he can continue doing that, he said. His experiences in the Marine Corps, Army National Guard and in the Navy Reserves have built leadership skills and taught him lessons he uses every day.

At the age of 20, while on the field of combat in Desert Storm, McIntosh learned not to take things for granted, to work hard and not to worry about things he has no control over, he said. Those are some of the forces that drive his campaign.

“I work hard to earn honestly what is mine and try to help as many people along the way as I possibly can,” McIntosh said. “Sometimes, it is the simplest things that help people. As an example, (it might be) a simple phone call that helps a citizen in my district get resolution to something he or she has been unable to do on their own efforts.”

Right now is a good time to be involved in politics because there is a lot of change on the sixth floor, he said. He pointed to reciprocation between the county and the city.

“In my opinion, I think we're heading in the right direction and it's a very positive time to be involved. So, I would like to take that momentum that I think we're building on and continue to build on it,” he said.

McIntosh recognizes that there are a lot of issues in the community, but the three he hopes to focus on include revitalizing neighborhoods like the one in the Orchard Street area as well as revitalizing the playgrounds, attracting manufacturing jobs to the area and working as a liaison for the veterans in the community to make sure that service members are receiving the benefits they are entitled to, he said.

“If I could do those three things, in my eyes, I would be successful,” McIntosh said.

Staff writer Gitana Mirochnik can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 237 or gitana.mirochnik@lee.net