Syracuse, N.Y. – Randy Potter, a tireless Republican activist who astounded colleagues with the number of phone calls he would make to support GOP candidates, died suddenly Thursday at the age of 69.
Potter, who formerly managed the Record Theatre store at Marshall Square Plaza, was a music aficionado who used to travel the country to attend Grateful Dead concerts. He also was an avid fan of New York sports teams, notably the Yankees and Giants. But even those loves paled next to his devotion to politics, friends say.
Potter tirelessly supported GOP candidates and would work long days making phone calls on their behalf, said Benedicte Doran, chair of the county Republican committee. During the 2020 congressional elections, Potter made 80,000 to 90,000 phone calls on behalf of candidates John Katko and Claudia Tenney, Doran said.
Randy Potter died Thursday at age 69.
“He was just so good on the phone,’’ Doran said. “He would work from, like, 10 in the morning until it wasn’t polite to call anymore — every day, seven days a week.’’
Potter died Thursday from an apparent heart attack, said his friend, Janet Burman, whose mayoral campaign Potter managed this year. Potter was accompanied by a friend at the time, preparing to visit a restaurant, she said.
Potter’s political activism started more than a decade ago when he got involved with the Tea Party movement and volunteered on the campaign of former U.S. Rep. Ann Marie Buerkle, said Hank Chapman, vice chairman of the county GOP. He was passionate about conservative issues, participating in “right to life” rallies against abortion and “back the Blue” rallies in support of police.
Most recently, Potter served as the Syracuse chair of the Republican Party. He also ran for office from time to time, despite the near futility of being a Republican candidate in a heavily Democratic city. He ran unsuccessfully for Syracuse Common Councilor-at-Large this year.
He was an enthusiastic supporter of former President Donald Trump. But Potter also shied away from the polarized tone that has characterized politics recently, Burman said.
“This past year, he was very concerned about the tone of discourse of people involved in politics. He emphasized the need for relying on facts, logic and respect,’’ she said.
Choking back sobs, Burman said Potter was a kind soul who cared for his father for years after his father was incapacitated. Potter also loved animals and adopted many stray cats, Burman said. He had four cats when he died, for whom Burman is now trying to find homes.
Potter had no living relatives when he died, Burman said.
“He was just a great guy,’’ Chapman said. “Loved people, loved music, loved his politics.”
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