ITHACA, N.Y. — Voters head to the polls Tuesday to choose new representatives on both the Tompkins County Legislature as well as municipal legislative bodies, like the Ithaca Common Council. There’s also a statewide ballot measure concerning development of ski trails on state-owned land in the Adirondacks.
The Ithaca Voice has compiled this voter guide with candidate profiles, letters to the editor and essential information to help you make an informed decision at the polls. We’ll begin updating our Election 2025 landing page with results and election calls after polls close Tuesday at 9:00 p.m.
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 4. Polls are open 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Find your polling site and sample ballots online here.
Voter guide
Statewide ballot measure
Proposal 1: Amendment to Allow Olympic Sports Complex in Essex County on State Forest Preserve Land
What would it do?
This amendment to the New York state constitution allows for the construction of more ski trails on state-owned land in Adirondack Park near Lake Placid. The trails would be part of the Mt. Van Hoevenburg Olympic Sports Complex, so named because it was a venue in the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympic Games in Lake Placid.
The measure would also require the state to add some 2,500 acres of land to Adirondack Park to compensate for the development of the ski trails, which would impact 323 acres.
Why is it on my ballot?
Even though the project is nowhere near Tompkins County, it’s on our ballots because it requires an amendment to the state constitution. Development on protected state-owned lands is highly regulated, so an exception like this requires a constitutional amendment and thus a statewide referendum.
Municipal races
Use the buttons below to jump to municipal races in your area.
Tompkins County Legislature
District 1: City of Ithaca (North Side, South Side, West Hill)
Travis Brooks (Democrat, Working Families Party)
Brooks is the director of the Greater Ithaca Activities Center and a current legislator. Read more here.
District 2: City of Ithaca (Fall Creek, Downtown, Washington Park)
Veronica Pillar (Democrat, Working Families Party)
Pillar is a teacher and a current legislator. Read more about them here.
District 3: City of Ithaca (Belle Sherman, South Hill)
Iris Packman (Democrat, Working Families Party)
Packman is a labor lawyer in Cornell University’s Industrial and Labor Relations school. Read her candidate profile here.
District 4: City of Ithaca (Collegetown, Cornell campus)
Adam Vinson (Democrat, Working Families Party)
Vinson is a recent Cornell University alumnus. Read his candidate profile here.
District 5: City of Ithaca (Cornell Heights)
Judith Hubbard (Democrat, Working Families Party)
Hubbard is a Cornell University professor. Read her candidate profile here.
District 6: Town of Ithaca (Cayuga Heights)
Shawna Black (Democrat, Working Families Party)
Black is a current county legislator. Read more about her here.
District 7: Village of Lansing (Triphammer corridor, Northeast Ithaca)
Read letters to the editor about this race here.
Deborah Dawson (write-in, Democrat endorsed)
Dawson is a current county legislator. She has been endorsed by the Democratic Party but is running as a write-in candidate. Read more here.
District 8: Town of Lansing
Mike Sigler (Republican, Local 607)
Sigler is a current county legislator and works in advertising. Read more about him here.
Jamie Perkins (Democrat, Lansing Lighthouse)
Perkins has previously served as the deputy mayor of Groton. Read his candidate profile here.
District 9: Groton, McLean
Lee Shurtleff (Republican)
Shurtleff is a current Tompkins County Legislator and a funeral director. Read more about him here.
District 10: Village of Dryden, Village of Freeville
Read letters to the editor about this race here.
Dan Wakeman (Democrat, Protecting Dryden)
Wakeman is the deputy mayor for the Village of Dryden and a engineer at BeoWulf Electricity and Data, a company involved in an effort to open an AI data center in Lansing. Read a candidate profile here.
Thomas Corey (“Bull Moose Party” independent ballot line)
Corey is a retired insurance agent running on his Bull Moose ballot line. Read his candidate profile here.
District 11: West Dryden, Varna
Greg Mezey (Democrat, Protecting Dryden)
Mezey is a current Tompkins County legislator and a businessowner. Read more about his campaign here.
District 12: Town of Ithaca (Parts of Ithaca College, South Hill, East Hill)
John Hunt (Democrat)
Hunt is a retired Cornell University researcher. Read his candidate profile here.
District 13: Danby, Brooktondale, Caroline
Irene Weiser (Democrat, Working Families Party)
Weiser is a retired veterinarian and former Town of Caroline board member. She was also involved in the push for a local ban on fracking. Read her candidate profile here.
District 14: Town of Ithaca (Parts of Ithaca College, West Hill, South Hill)
Read letters to the editor about this race here.
Christy Bianconi (Democrat, Working Families Party)
Bianconi works for an online mental health care provider and previously worked for the Tompkins County Department of Mental Health. Read her candidate profile here.
Michelle Wright (“The People First” independent ballot line)
Wright formerly worked for the Village of Ulysses and has served on the Trumansburg Central School District Board of Education. She is a masters’ student at Cornell. Read her candidate profile here.
District 15: Newfield and Enfield
Randy Brown (Republican)
Brown has served on the Tompkins County Legislature since 2021. Prior to his work retirement, he headed Cortland Line, a major fly fishing line manufacturer. Read more about him here.
District 16: Trumansburg and Ulysses
Rachel Ostlund (Democrat, Working Families Party)
Ostlund is a small business owner and a stay at home parent. Read her candidate profile here.
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City of Ithaca Common Council
Ward 1: North Side, West Hill, South Side
Jorge Defendini (Democrat, Working Families Party)
Defendini is a political organizer and former alderperson. Read his candidate profile here.
Zachary Winn (Republican)
Winn is a political organizer and writes the crime focused blog, Ithaca Crime. Read his candidate profile here.
Ward 2: Fall Creek, Downtown Ithaca
Joe Kirby (Democrat, Working Families Party)
Kirby is an attorney and longtime Ithaca resident. Read his candidate profile here.
Ward 3: South Hill, Belle Sherman
Patrick Sewell (Democrat)
Sewell is a professor at Tompkins Cortland Community College and labor leader. Read his candidate profile here.
Ward 4: Collegetown, parts of Cornell University
Robin Trumble (Democrat, Working Families Party)
Trumble is a bartender and political organizer. Read his candidate profile here.
Ward 5: Cayuga Heights, parts of Cornell University
Find letters to the editor about both candidates here.
Hannah Shvets (Democrat, Working Families Party)
Shvets is a Cornell University undergraduate student. She grew up in Ithaca. Read her candidate profile here.
G.P. Zurenda, Jr. (“Affordable Ithaca” independent ballot line)
Zurenda is a psychotherapist and longtime Ithaca resident. Read his candidate profile here.
Town of Ithaca
There are no contested races in the Town of Ithaca. Rob Rosen, Diana Sinton and David McCune are the three uncontested town council candidates; Jim Stalk is the single candidate for town justice. All candidates are Democrats.
There is one competitive race for the Tompkins County Legislature for some parts of the Town of Ithaca. To jump to that race, click here.
Caroline
There are no contested municipal races in Caroline. Uncontested races include Michelle Witmer for Town Supervisor, Michelle Brown and Jonathan Bates for town councilperson and Nicole Pence for town justice.
Danby
There are no contested local races in the town of Danby. Joel Gagnon is the sole candidate for Town Supervisor, Blake Savoy the sole candidate for town clerk and Keith Shipman the sole candidate for highway superintendent. Mark Spruce and Jonathan Zachary Larkins are running for the two full term seats on the town council. Mariah Dillon is running separately to fill a two year term on the council. All candidates in all races are Democrats.
Dryden
Contested races
Three candidates are competing for two seats on the town council.
- David Bravo-Cullen (Republican)
- Daniel Lamb (Democrat, “Protecting Dryden” independent ballot line)
- Leonardo J. Vargas-Mendez (Democrat, “Protecting Dryden” independent ballot line)
Uncontested races
Democrat Jason Leifer is running for Town Supervisor and Democrat Richard Young is running for highway superintendent. Both Leifer and Young are also running on the “Protecting Dryden” ballot line.
The race to represent some parts of Dryden in the Tompkins County Legislature is also competitive. Click here to jump to that race.
Enfield
Contested races
Four candidates are competing for two spots on town council.
- Rosie Carpenter (Republican)
- Jude Lemke (Democrat and Republican cross-endorsement)
- Cassandra Hinkle (“One Enfield” independent ballot line)
- Robert Tuskey (“One Enfield” independent ballot line)
Uncontested races
Democrat Stephanie Redmond is running for Town Supervisor, Mary Cornell for Town Clerk and Barry J. Rollins Sr. for highway superintendent. Both Cornell and Rollins are cross-endorsed by both Democratic and Republican parties.
Groton
There are no contested races. Republican Crystal L. Young is running for town supervisor, Republican Robin Cargian for Town Clerk, Republican Ellard D. Keister for highway superintendent and Republicans Richard B. Gamel and Daniel J. Carey for town councilpersons. Republican Paul J. Lang is running for town justice.
Lansing
Contested races
Four candidates are competing for two seats on the town council.
- Joe Wetmore (Democrat, “Lansing Lighthouse” independent ballot line)
- Judy Drake (Democrat, “Lansing Lighthouse” independent ballot line)
- Joe Lovejoy (write-in)
- John Duthie (write-in)
Write-in candidates Lovejoy and Duthie have organized around the “Securing Lansing’s Future” group, which supports business-friendly policies and has expressed disapproval of a proposed land-use moratorium that would stall construction of an artificial intelligence data center.
Uncontested races
Democrat Peter Grossman is running uncontested for Town Justice.
Lansing also has a competitive county legislature race. To jump to that race, click here.
Newfield
Contested races
Three candidates are competing for two seats on the council.
- Joanne James (Democrat)
- Christine M. Seamon (Republican)
- Michael T. Corbett. (Republican)
Uncontested races
Democrat Michael Allinger is running for town supervisor, Karen M. Miller-Kennerson is running for town clerk and Kevin C. Berggren is running for highway superintendent. Both Miller-Kennerson and Berggren are cross-endorsed by both Democratic and Republican parties.
Ulysses
Contested races
Town Supervisor
- Katelin Olson (Democrat)
- Katherine “Katy” Lou Walker (“Ulysses United” independent ballot line)
Uncontested races
Democrat Carissa Parlato is running for town clerk and Democrat Scott Stewart is running for highway superintendent. Democrats Tom Knipe and Steve Manely are running for the two available seats on the town council.
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