Syracuse, N.Y. – The most experienced Democratic lawmaker on the Onondaga County Legislature says 2026 will be his final year as a legislator.

Charles Garland, who has represented the South Side of Syracuse since 2022, said this week that he will not seek re-election in November.

Garland, 60, said he plans to spend more time with his ailing mother and focus on his business, Garland Bros. Funeral Home, which is the oldest Black-owned funeral home in the Northeast.

And three terms on the legislature is enough, he said.

“I was able to do many of the things that I wanted to’’ as a legislator, Garland said. “But the main thing is, I’ve already served. It’s my third term. That’s more than enough.’’

Garland is the longest-serving of the four incumbent Democrats on the legislature. They will

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