Voters Share Their Selections and Issues in Ithaca’s Democratic Major Races

Voters solid their ballots on Slot Gacor Hari Ini Tuesday, June 27 for the Metropolis of Ithaca’s Democratic primaries eager about homelessness, the town’s staffing shortages, housing affordability and the Solidarity Slate, a bunch of 5 progressive candidates operating for Widespread Council with a robust grassroots organizing base backing them.

The unofficial outcomes, which don’t embody absentee and affidavit ballots, solely clarify the victors of Tuesday’s primaries within the metropolis’s First and Second Wards.

The cut up within the race in Ward 3, and the 2 races in Ward 5 are all lower than 10 votes — all stunningly shut margins.

Ward 1

Kayla Matos, a member of the Solidarity Slate and Deputy Director of the Southside Neighborhood Middle, beat out the 12-year incumbent, Alderperson Cynthia Brock, in Ward 1 with 56.27 p.c of Tuesday’s unofficial vote depend.

Arielle Johnson grad instructed The Ithaca Voice she voted for Matos over Brock to characterize Ward 1 for a four-year time period. She mentioned her resolution was not motivated by “any particular beef with Cynthia Brock,” however she was drawn to Matos due to her expertise on the Southside Neighborhood Middle.

“It’s much less of a vote in opposition to Cynthia, and extra of actual pleasure of bringing a brand new voice to native politics,” Johnson mentioned after voting on the Higher Ithaca Actions Middle on Tuesday.

Matos’ perspective on addressing the homeless inhabitants additionally appealed to Johnson. Matos has positioned herself as an advocate of the strategy outlined in House, Collectively: Tompkins, an formidable highway map ready by the Tompkins County Continuum of Care that proposes to “finish unsheltered homelessness” and improve service deliveries to in-need marginalized teams.

Louise, who solely wished to be recognized by her first title, instructed The Voice she selected to solid her poll for Brock due to a dialog she had with the candidate. Staffing shortages within the metropolis and the incoming metropolis supervisor place persuaded Louise that Brock’s institutional reminiscence made her a “voice for stability.”

Ward 2

Kris Haines-Sharp acquired 44 p.c of the overall votes solid in Ward 2, placing loads of respiratory room between her and her two opponents, Aryeal Jackson, and West Fox, a member of the Solidarity Slate.

Jackson, who garnered 22 p.c of the unofficial vote, gained the assist of Ward 2 resident Rose Streets.

Streets mentioned in an interview with The Voice that Jackson’s advocacy round furthering the Ithaca Inexperienced New Deal appeared “pragmatic.” “She’s a working mom, she’s a cleansing particular person — she cleans homes,” Streets mentioned. “So I relate to that.”

A number of voters in Ward 2 instructed The Voice they discovered it troublesome to differentiate the candidates’ political platforms.

“The entire candidates have the identical platform,” Ward 2 resident Tim Phelps mentioned in an interview outdoors Ithaca City Corridor, the place he positioned his vote. “Like, eerily the identical.”

He in the end solid his poll for Jackson Phelps mentioned former Mayor Svante Myrick’s ’09 endorsement was “proof for him” that Jackson has been meaningfully concerned in metropolis politics, as she wrote on her web site.

“I wouldn’t even name myself a giant Svante Myrick fan, however he can affirm that she was concerned for a few years in politics. I believe that issues extra than simply your said objectives  — simply being dedicated to a spot,” Phelps mentioned.

The expertise Haines-Sharp has on Widespread Council was compelling for others, regardless of her having been appointed to the place to fill a emptiness in January.

Andy Weislogel, a resident in Ward 2, mentioned that after learning all of the candidates within the Second Ward, Haines-Sharp’s expertise was notable.

Weislogel mentioned Haines-Sharp’s tackle negotiating with Cornell College was interesting in addition to her ideas on increasing transit — each of which had been basic positions held by Haines-Sharpe’s opponents.

“I really feel like she is already doing the place, and brings quite a lot of expertise,” Weislogel mentioned.

Tziona Szajman additionally lives in Ward 2 and instructed The Voice she voted for Fox due to their imaginative and prescient to broaden and defend “tenants rights and employees rights” put ahead by the Solidarity Slate, which Fox is a member of.

Fox acquired 35 p.c of the unofficial vote depend.

Ward 3

David Shapiro, the chief director of Second Wind Cottages, leads Nathan Sitarman, a member of the Solidarity Slate, by simply 9 votes within the Third Ward.

Wendy Wallitt, a Ward 3 resident and voter, mentioned she preferred quite a lot of Nathan Sitaraman’s concepts, however in the end, she mentioned she voted for David Shapiro due to issues she has concerning the Solidarity Slate.

“It scares me to think about a slate of 5 folks having common conferences and coming to what they assume goes to be a consensus, and never together with — not having part of the conversations that happen amongst 10 folks,” Wallitt mentioned outdoors of Belle Sherman Annex, referring to the ten-member Widespread Council.

“If he had been voting his thoughts and his opinions, I’d really feel in another way, however to assume that he’s going to be voting as a bloc with 4 different folks — or nevertheless many — that scares me,” Wallitt mentioned.

Rupert Spies, one other voter who exited the polling location alongside Wallitt, agreed. Spies mentioned his expertise dwelling in West Berlin — surrounded by the Communist German Democratic Republic (higher referred to as East Germany) — left him cautious of the Solidarity Slate as properly.

“If there’s all these blocs, and there are dealings inside a small group coming in [they will have] extra power, energy, say — no matter you need to name it, except the opposite members do the identical,” Spies mentioned. “However then why do we’ve got Widespread Council conferences? Why do we’ve got committees? Why do we’ve got a course of in place that regulates it? I’m certain folks on Widespread Council discuss to one another, however I believe it must be within the open.”

The Voice and The Solar had been unable to discover a Nathan Sitaraman voter at Belle Sherman Annex regardless of having a reporter there for over two hours.

Ward 5

Clyde Lederman ’26 has a lead on longtime Ithaca resident Jason Houghton by seven votes within the race to characterize the Ward 5 for a two-year time period.

Margaret Fabrizio holds the lead by six votes over Michelle Track ’25, additionally an undergraduate at Cornell College, in a race to characterize the Fifth Ward for a four-year time period.

Adrienne Bitar, a Ward 5 resident, mentioned she voted for Lederman as a result of he had canvassed her home twice, and confirmed curiosity in addressing affordability in Ithaca, in addition to exploring the potential for codifying renters’ rights.

“Basically, this area has affordability issues,” Bitar mentioned. “They should pay folks extra and work on reducing taxes and lowering that pricing conduct.”

Michael Decatur — who declined to share for whom he voted — mentioned that he solid his vote primarily based on reducing the tax fee and bettering the standard of metropolis governance.

“The standard of providers that outcome from the taxes is low, like our roads aren’t in good condition,” Decatur mentioned. “Our infrastructure is crumbling. The morale of the town employees, from what I can inform, is low. And it’s simply all these issues. That’s not a great equation, we have to change course.”

Decatur mentioned he was not frightened concerning the candidates’ age — with each Lederman and fellow candidate Michelle Track being undergraduate college students at Cornell — however that he did fear about their lack of life expertise and that they weren’t from Ithaca.

“[Lederman and Song are] clearly sensible, succesful folks, however you possibly can’t deny the truth that they’re not from this neighborhood,” Decatur mentioned. “And so I imply, that’s only a actuality. And it’s one thing that I weigh into my consideration.”

The Voice and The Solar had been unable to seek out any voters for any candidates moreover Lederman, regardless of having a reporter current on the Alice Prepare dinner Home polling location for over three hours.

Jonathan Mong is a reporter from the Cornell Each day Solar engaged on The Solar’s summer time fellowship at The Ithaca Voice. This piece was initially revealed within the Ithaca Voice.