SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — In a statement to NewsChannel 9, “America’s Most Wanted” host John Walsh said he “misspoke” when he said he’d be voting for a local congressional candidate in a television campaign advertisement.
The ad, released this week, features “America’s Most Wanted” host John Walsh with a direct commitment: “I’m voting for Brandon Williams.”
“I pulled a Tim Walz and misspoke,” said Walsh in a statement provided by the Brandon Williams campaign, which approved the advertisement.
The correction was made after NewsChannel 9 asked the campaign what Walsh’s voter status was.
Dozens of campaign ads have infiltrated television in the weeks before Election Day, but the new commercial featuring Walsh has led to an influx of questions to NewsChannel 9’s Your Stories team.
Peter emails, asking, “My question is: how does Walsh, who lives in Florida, vote for Williams in NY?”
“Is John Walsh of America’s Most Wanted really registered and eligible to vote in the local congressional election?” asked Phyllis.
“Is he lying to voters in New York about voting here?” asked Brenda
To answer the voters’ questions, NewsChannel 9 began researching Walsh’s registration records.
The Auburn native has been known to spend a fair amount of time in Central New York and owns property around Skaneateles, but a spokesperson for the New York State Board of Elections says there’s no voter registration matching Walsh’s name and birthdate.
Publicly available data in Florida shows Walsh is a registered voter in Indian River County, near Vero Beach. The Indian River County Supervisor of Elections posts voter registrations’ on its website.
The website shows Walsh requested a Florida ballot in the mail, sent to his Florida address.
NewsChannel 9’s questions led the Brandon Williams campaign to look into the issue and respond.
John Walsh Response
“Brandon Williams has my full endorsement because he is committed to securing our border, supporting law enforcement, and getting criminals off our streets—I pulled a Tim Walz and misspoke. John Mannion is not the man for the job, Brandon Williams is.”
John Walsh via Brandon Williams Campaign
Brandon Williams Campaign Response
“It’s an honor for Brandon Williams to be endorsed by John Walsh—a man of great integrity and moral clarity who has helped catch some of the world’s most wanted fugitives and child traffickers, and put them behind bars.To smear the good name of this man is just another desperate attack by the far-left radicals like John Mannion who have released violent criminals back onto our streets, made our communities and children less safe, and show no respect toward law enforcement.“
Taylor Weyeneth, Spokesperson for the Brandon Williams Campaign
Had Walsh decided to keep his commitment, his local properties might have made him eligible to register. New York State’s registration deadline is October 26.
Latest local news
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WSYR.
Local News
