Haynes, Horn win race for village of Trumansburg board seats

Jhoanna Haynes, a local business owner and former president of the Trumansburg Central School District (TCSD) Board of Education, and incumbent Marcia Horn will start their new terms on the village of Trumansburg Board of Trustees April 8.

Both candidates were voted on by the public during the March 19 village elections. Haynes, a Democrat and a newcomer to the board, garnered about 39% of the votes, while Horn, an incumbent who campaigned as an independent candidate, tallied about 36%, according to data from the Tompkins County Board of Elections.

Haynes and Horn were part of a three-way race for the two seats on the board with Democrat Anthony Hanson. 

Both candidates spoke with Tompkins Weekly regarding their victory, noting that they were excited to get to work on a fresh new term on the board.

Horn

Horn spent election night at her home surrounded by family and friends. She voted and then prepared for the results. This next term would be her third.

“Even though I’m not even going to say that it was a good turnout, it was way better than most March elections,” Horn said, adding that there were around 245 ballots cast. 

After seeing some early results come in, it was Mayor Rordan Hart who broke the news to Horn.

“The mayor sent me a text message. I was going to go back down and get the results, but the mayor had beat me to it. He congratulated me for my victory. It was wonderful news,” she said.

Learning that she had prevailed in the race, Horn said she felt ecstatic. She did most of the campaign on her own, after the Ulysses Democratic Committee decided to designate Hanson and Haynes as the party’s candidates through the caucusing process.

“I felt very happy and supported by the community, considering I wasn’t backed by any political party,” Horn said. “The other two candidates were backed by the Democratic Party, so obviously, they had more resources to support them. They had an event so voters could meet the candidates.”

Horn’s hard work, she said, paid off.

“I put a lot of work into canvassing the village and giving the public information,” she noted. “I was supported by the community, and I felt very good about that.”

Horn said she felt that her prior experience on the board vastly helped her campaign. 

“I was certainly hoping that by getting out, meeting some people and talking to people who were already happy with my work on the board, that I could run on that record,” she added.

Her outreach gave her a new chance to connect with constituents, Horn said.

“I think people do appreciate it when you get out there and you show an interest in you, giving them the information that they need,” she said. “Some people sent me emails and I emailed them back, and so it was nice.”

Horn noted that a new term on the board will be complemented by the consistency and continuity the board will retain.

“We have some continuity and consistency with the people that have already worked together that are very familiar with the projects that are going on with the village and some of the challenges we face,” she said. 

Horn said that she is looking forward to working with Haynes.

“Getting another woman on the board, I think that voice is important,” she noted. “We have a different perspective of how we live our life. It’s nice to have that younger, new blood that wants to get involved.”

Haynes

Haynes will be the only woman of color on the board, something she’s said is important as she feels more diversity in perspectives is needed.

Haynes, who moved to New York state from Texas about 13 years ago, owns a catering business. She has six years of experience on the TCSD Board of Education. On Tuesday, she spent the day with her family.

“I took my daughter with me to the poll, so she could see the process of voting for the elections take place,” Haynes said. 

Haynes noted that she felt her campaign was effective.

“The results were not surprising to me, just from speaking to other people and a lot of people know who I am from my previous seat on the school board,” she said. “I’m just really involved in the community.”

During the campaign, Haynes said, voters approached her to hear how she could enact change.

“It has made me think about how I can serve better,” Haynes said. “I want to keep their issues in mind.”

In brief:

The Presidential primary election will take place April 2, with polls open from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. 

Early voting for this primary will run until March 30. Here are the early voting locations in the city of Ithaca:

• Town of Ithaca Town Hall (215 North Tioga St.)
• Finger Lakes Library System (1300 Dryden Rd.)

Hours at both locations will be:

• March 27, 9:00 a.m. – 6:00p.m.
• March 28, 11:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
• March 29, 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
• March 30, 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Both the Democratic and Republican parties will hold Presidential primary elections on April 2. Only voters who are enrolled in these parties are eligible to vote in this election. For more information, visit the Tompkins County Board of Elections at https://tompkinscountyny.gov/boe.