2026 General Election is Tuesday, November 03

A fifth-generation Upstate New Yorker, Josh was born-and-raised in a working-class neighborhood in Endicott where his mom worked in law enforcement and his dad, grandparents, and generations before them worked in the IBM and Endicott-Johnson plants. When the local factories closed, Josh saw his community struggle while Wall Street enjoyed soaring corporate profits. 

That experience has guided Josh’s career, inspiring him to always fight those left behind. As our incumbent representative Josh represents a large swath of counties from Tompkins all the way to Rensselaer and the Hudson Valley.  His policies and positions can be accessed here:  https://joshrileyforcongress.com/policy-positions/

Josh and his wife, Monica, live in Ithaca with their two sons.

Lea Webb was born and raised in Binghamton and is a lifelong resident of the Southern Tier. Senator Webb passed 35 bills through both houses during her first term, over 25 of which have already been signed into law. She serves as chair of the Senate Committee on Women’s Issues. During her first term, Webb voted to advance a Constitutional Amendment to always protect a woman’s right to choose, passed groundbreaking legislation to protect our access to clean water and air, and expanded school lunch in public schools and free universal pre-k. She also passed legislation through the budget to increase the TAP award to help more students afford college. In addition to all these important pieces of legislation, she tackled many local issues, including passing legislation to ban CO2 fracking and saving Roosevelt Elementary and the Ithaca Carshare. For more information on the issues: https://www.leawebb.com/issues

As a life-long community organizer, Senator Webb believes deeply in expanding opportunities for civic engagement. 

Assemblymember Dr. Anna Kelles represents the 125th District, including Tompkins County and the southwest of Cortland County. This district includes the metropolitan areas of Ithaca and Cortland as well as 17 smaller municipal towns and villages in both counties. As an active assembly member, Anna is the Chair of the Commission on Agriculture.  Additionally, she sits on the Committees on Agriculture, Corrections, Environmental Conservation, Health, Housing, Task Force on Food, Housing, the Women’s Caucus and the Task Force on Women’s Issues. For a list of the bills, she has sponsored visit: https://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/Anna-R-Kelles/sponsor/

Anna was born and raised in Tompkins County. Even after traveling the world, she felt called back to the beautiful lakes, waterfalls and trails and their peerless natural beauty that served as her sanctuary in her youth. She lives with her partner and their two beloved goofy puppies.

Osborne has been Tompkins County Sheriff since January 2019. As a patrol officer in the City of Cortland in 1995, he transferred to the Tompkins County Sheriff’s office in 2001.  He worked his way through the ranks from Deputy Sheriff to Investigator, Senior Investigator (Lt.), Captain and Undersheriff retiring in 2015. 

Osborne has the experience and the vision to continue improving community relations and operational efficiency while maintaining fiscal responsibility. “In these divisive times. you can count on me to serve all people of Tompkins County with honor, pride, and integrity.” For more information https://www.sheriffosborne.com/about-derek

Deputy Clerk Rachel Graham is running to replace Tompkins County Clerk Maureen Reynolds, who is retiring. Graham, who’s spent nearly 20 years working in Tompkins County government, says she would continue some initiatives like becoming a paperless office. She has previously served as Administrative Recording Clerk and is a member of the county’s Diversity and Inclusion Infusion Team.

These two seated members of the Tompkins County Democratic Committee are continuing to represent Tompkins County on the New York State Democratic Committee.  The Committee meets four times per year.  

Mark is in his 11th year as Caroline’s Town Supervisor.  Mark is appearing on the ballot again this election season because of a NYS Law recently passed in NYS Court of Appeals. In 2023, the Even Year Election Law which
changing most town elections, excluding town justices, from odd-numbered years to even-numbered years. The goal is to increase voter participation by aligning local elections with higher-turnout state and federal races.  

A biologist, naturalist, and teacher Mark and his wife, Ann Herzig, returned to Caroline in 2003 after living in Caroline during their graduate studies at Cornell. They have two daughters, Ruth and Freida. Their family is completed by Sparky, a happy mutt, Uno, a half-blind cat, and some chickens.

Mark plans to continue work to hone land use regulations that will guide Caroline’s future toward the community’s goals, work to facilitate transition to affordable renewable energy technologies for the residents of Caroline, continue work with our municipal and county partners to provide countywide emergency medical response, complete the buildout of affordable, high-speed broadband in Caroline, complete the renovation of the Historic Town Hall, and complete construction of the Coddington Valley Rail Trail. We are making real progress in each of these areas. He looks forward to continuing our work together to keeping Caroline such a great place to live. 

Contact:  mwitmer48@gmail.com

I enjoy problem solving and planning, both of which have figured prominently in my years of public service as a volunteer and in various elected and appointed positions. The heightened polarization we have experienced in recent years, manifest even on the local level, makes critical thinking and objective analysis both more difficult and more important than ever. I hope to help the Danby community look to its future, confront the issues that need to be dealt with, and come to resolutions for the common good. 

Blake Savoy was elected town clerk in 2025. He previously worked in the Town Clerk's Office under the previous Clerk Mariah Dillon and Deputy Clerk Cindy Katz. Every time people come in, whether it's for a dog license, a marriage certificate, or a question that sends us looking into records from before any of us were born, he looks forward getting to say, "How can I help you?".

Says, Blake, "The thing that inspires me the most about Danby is the community. I think it can be much harder to find community in places that aren't "walkable"- there are just fewer happenstance opportunities. But I see people in our community counteract that everyday. Grabbing a coffee, meeting up to go hiking, or just stopping by to catch up. I'm glad to be a part of that, and excited to continue doing it as Danby's town clerk!"

I am honored to be your current Highway Superintendent.  I have really enjoyed working with the entire Danby Community while addressing the needs of our roads in the town.  I have many years of experience including business management, excavating skills, problem solving, budgeting, working with government agencies, and working with the public.  I enjoy managing our Highway Department and staff to meet our every day challenges.  This includes ensuring a safe work environment and being responsive to the needs of our residents.

My future endeavors will always include keeping our community roads safe, practicing environmental safety, striving to stay within our budget, and, most importantly, keeping our roadways safe for you and your children. 

Loren Sparling is seeking election to be Town Clerk. Loren has been Deputy Town Clerk since 2023 and assumed the role of Town Clerk on May 1 after long-serving Clerk Bambi Avery retired. He’s now running to fulfill the remainder of her term.

Not new to elected office, Loren won a seat on the Town Board in 2019 and moved into the Clerk’s office as Bambi’s deputy in 2023. A Cornell graduate and a trained archaeologist, Loren dedicated years to special education in the Ithaca City School District and TST BOCES. He also serves as the Dryden Town Historian and on the TC3 Foundation Board of Directors.

Jason Leifer has been Dryden Supervisor since 2016 and is running for his seventh term! He’s served on the Town Board since 2008. Current Town initiatives include Dryden Fiber, New York’s first municipally owned and operated Internet Service Provider, and completion of the Rail Trail bridge over Rt. 13. Under Jason’s leadership, the Town passed a ban on data centers in Dryden, and has brought in more than $140 million in public and private investments for infrastructure, recreation, renewable energy, and business development.

Jason’s “day job” is representing people in family court and those who are facing criminal charges in local and county courts. He represents people who can’t afford a lawyer through the Assigned Counsel Programs of Tompkins County, Schuyler County, and Tioga County.

Jules Ravo is running for another four years as Dryden Town Justice. He’s served for the past twelve years, first elected in 2014 and re-elected in 2018 and 2022.

Judge Ravo has practiced law in the State of New York for 46 years and has maintained a private law practice in Dryden/Ithaca since 2002. He initially practiced law as a trial attorney in the New York City metropolitan area for 22 years before opening his practice in Dryden. Judge Ravo served on the Board of Directors of Lakeview Health Services for eighteen years. His professional and life experiences have enabled him to apply the law and accord everyone appearing before our court the fairness, respect, and dignity all of us expect and demand.

Michelle E. Wright has dedicated her career to public service, beginning in high school public education after college before transitioning to local government, where she served the Town of Ulysses for nearly a decade with the primary role of Second Deputy Supervisor. Michelle’s in-depth understanding of municipal finance evolved from her work as Bookkeeper and then Budget Officer during her time at Ulysses. Her commitment to civic engagement extends beyond her Town work; she was elected to serve on the Trumansburg Central School District Board of Education, was a candidate for Tompkins County Legislature (District 14) during the 2025 election cycle, and is an enthusiastic member and supporter of the League of Women Voters.

Raised in Hector, Michelle has spent most of her life in the Trumansburg area and has called the Town of Ithaca home since 2021. She is passionate about strengthening civic literacy and encouraging meaningful community engagement at the local level. Outside of work, Michelle enjoys spending time outdoors, tending her garden, and exploring new places through both domestic and international travel.

Michelle intends to gain nuanced understandings on how the Town of Ithaca can maintain the services that define our community’s quality of life in the context of significant affordability challenges. 

As a 36-year resident of Ulysses Town, a financial advisor by profession, and twelve years of prior service on the Ulysses Town Board, Rich understands setting priorities, fiscal oversight and compliance.

Rich and his Wife Shirley Brown are deeply rooted in the community. Their children attended the Trumansburg Schools and participated in many athletic and extra curricular activities. Rich served on the Board of the Three Falls State Park from its inception, as well as being the liaison to the Planning Board for 9 years and the Board of Zoning Appeals for five years.

Rich is known for his grounded and level headed approach to Board work. During his twelve year tenure Rich served on the Finance Committee, was on the Board of the Three Falls State Park from its inception, as well as being the liaison to the Planning Board for 9 years and the Board of Zoning Appeals for 5.

If elected, his priorities include completion of the work being done on the new Comprehensive Plan and future zoning updates, maintain a solid financial approach to the fiscal management of the town, and to maintain the character of the town while meeting the housing and recreational needs of a growing population.