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An Air Force veteran who fell short in her bid to win the Democratic nomination for Congress last year plans to try again in 2024.

Sarah Klee Hood, 41, of DeWitt, told syracuse.com | The Post-Standard that she will launch a campaign today to unseat Rep. Brandon Williams in the 22nd Congressional District.

Klee Hood becomes the only Democrat to actively campaign for the seat in the Central New York congressional district.

Democrat Katelyn Kriesel, 35, of Fayetteville, declared her candidacy in February but dropped her bid a month later, citing family concerns.

Kriesel, a Manlius town councilor and single mother of two daughters, said she realized the campaign and a successful run for Congress would require too much time away from her family.

The Central New York House seat is among those that Democratic Party officials say they must win next year to regain the House majority.

Williams, R-Sennett, is among 31 vulnerable House Republicans targeted by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee as part of its strategy to win back the House.

Klee Hood, elected to the DeWitt Town Council in 2021, said she was inspired to run for Congress again after a strong showing in the Democratic primary election last year.

In a four-person contest, Klee Hood came within about 900 votes of upsetting the Democratic Partys designated candidate, Francis Conole, of Syracuse.

Williams squeaked by Conole in the November election by about 1 percentage point.

Klee Hood, a progressive Democrat, said she plans to tell voters in the four-county district that Williams, a conservative Republican, is out of step with their values.

Hes not necessarily in line with what people want or need in Central New York, she said. He ran with the Trump Republicans for election and thats where he still is.

Klee Hood said she will make her support for abortion rights, universal health care, increased access to college and trade schools, paid family leave and wage-driven childcare costs central themes of her campaign.

She also pledged to protect Social Security and Medicare from any cuts in the future.

Klee Hood, the mother of two girls ages 11 and 8, said she learned valuable lessons in her 2022 campaign as she tried to balance being a mother and working full-time as senior director of operations at the Syracuse Tech Garden.

She said she has stepped aside from her job and plans to campaign full time for the 2024 election.

Klee Hood said she plans to emphasize her roots in Central New York, drawing a sharp contrast to Williams, a Dallas native who bought a farm in Cayuga County in 2008 and settled in the region as a full-time resident in 2019.

A Syracuse native, Klee Hood was raised in Bridgeport. She returned to Central New York in 2017 after a six-year career in the Air Force, where she oversaw airfield operations at bases in Arizona and Alaska.

See Sarah Klee Hoods campaign launch video

Klee Hood worked at Saab Sensis in DeWitt from 2017 to 2019, leading a team of engineers on a project to develop software systems to make airports more efficient.

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Air Force veteran launches Democratic campaign to unseat Rep. Brandon Williams - syracuse.com