5 candidates vying for 2 Tompkins County Legislature seats in democratic primary 

In the Democratic primaries, coming up on June 24, there are two contested Tompkins County Legislature races. Iris Packman and Pierre Saint-Perez are both running for District 3, which includes the South Hill and Belle Sherman neighborhoods.

Kyle Emily Erickson, Matt Sullivan and Irene Weiser are vying to represent District 13, which encompasses Caroline and Danby.

We asked the candidates to weigh in on what they would bring to the table, the issues that are most important to them and what voters might not already know about who they are as individuals.

District 3: Ithaca

Iris Packman

What skills and strengths will you bring to the legislature if elected? 

I have a proven track record of policymaking, organizing, and legal advocacy that spans workers’ rights, climate justice, and immigrant defense. I will bring my decades of professional expertise, as well as my personal experience as a lifelong Ithacan and community leader, to everything I do in the legislature. Whether people know me from my work winning organizing rights for more than 100,000 workers, or as a member of Ithaca’s Sustainability & Climate Justice Commission, or as a Cornell Faculty Senator, board member at the Ithaca Children’s Garden, or just from walking my dog and kids around Belle Sherman, they should know that I am invested in our community, and am ready to start solving problems on day one.

What is one issue you are passionate about and why? 

While knocking hundreds of doors, I heard over and over again that Ithaca is just too expensive for most people. Whether it’s high taxes, increased assessments, soaring rents, or childcare costs, tackling our cost of living crisis will be one of my top priorities on the legislature. I will look at our tax code and abatements to make sure they serve our residents; prioritize smart, community-centered housing and sensible development to expand our tax base; support more good jobs; and fight to make childcare more affordable so that families can successfully raise the next generation of Ithacans.

What is one thing about yourself that you believe is important but that most voters probably don’t know? 

If you just look at my profile on paper, you might not know how I got here. I moved 15 times before I turned 18, and watched my parents struggle to make ends meet. I understand the affordability issues facing our community and I know how important it is to be able to live where you want and stay in your home. That’s why I’m working on real solutions to our housing crisis, and especially in the face of the Trump administration, will always stand up for the crucial services that make our lives better.

Pierre Saint-Perez 

What skills and strengths will you bring to the legislature if elected?

I will bring both a deep well of experience and the energy of youth. I first got involved in local governance on a County Housing Committee when I was fifteen, and have stayed engaged over the years. I’ve been on Common Council for the past year and a half, and I have served as City liaison to the County Legislature during that time, as well as represented the City of Ithaca to the Tompkins County Council of Governments. I’ve done governmental restructuring work in the City of Ithaca, both as a youth representative years ago and as an Alderperson now. 

Besides that, I’ll be bringing my policy and law degrees, and the experience of being a young brown person growing up in Ithaca. I believe all of this makes me a strong advocate and representative, and only a stronger one moving forward. 

What is one issue you are passionate about and why? 

Cost of Living in Ithaca. I keep seeing the people I grew up with, from my school, church, and neighborhood, leaving Ithaca because it’s too expensive to stay. A community should, at a bare minimum, be able to take care of its own children. We should be able to offer a good, secure life to every local, and right now we cannot. We have to change that, and it will take all of us working together to do it, not just the City of Ithaca. 

What is one thing about yourself that you believe is important but that most voters probably don’t know? 

I am a child of immigrants and a birthright citizen. My parents moved here from India and Venezuela, and as such my community is directly under attack. Right now, the federal administration is trying to take away the rights that allow me to do this work and represent you. I will not compromise with this administration, neither personally nor professionally. They are attacking people I love every day. But in times like this I believe our community is what holds us together. We stand with each other, we support our neighbors, our friends, and our fellow Ithacans. 

District 13: Caroline and Danby  

Kyle Emily Erickson

What skills and strengths will you bring to the legislature if elected? 

I have been teaching in our public schools for the last decade, and every day I see the varied experiences of our youth and their families. This knowledge will go a long way as I support all of the people in Danby, Caroline and the rest of Tompkins County as their representative in the legislature. If elected, I would teach part time to ensure I have the time and energy for both of these important jobs. 

What is one issue you are passionate about and why? 

Advocating for working families. My husband and I are in the midst of the joys and challenges of parenthood and there is a lot to balance. I want to be sure these realities are represented in local government and hope to increase engagement of people my age.

What is one thing about yourself that you believe is important but that most voters probably don’t know? 

I have a collaborative and thoughtful mindset. I could not do my job as a teacher without that, and I believe that this will serve me on the legislature as I work together with my colleagues and constituents to address the challenges facing the county. I believe that by working across different perspectives and through disagreements we can construct more lasting solutions.

Matt Sullivan 

What skills and strengths will you bring to the legislature if elected? 

I helped start our EMTs’ and Paramedics’ union, and currently act as its president, so I have plenty of experience taking action that improves the most important parts of everyday, on-the-job experience. As a paramedic, I’ve spent my career helping people where they are in the community and in their lives, and I bring a perspective on the everyday struggles of Tompkins County that no one else in this race can. I plan to use what I’ve learned to take action that actually meets the need on the ground. 

What is one issue you are passionate about and why? 

As a new parent, childcare is an existential need. You can’t do anything, let alone go to work and provide for your family, until you know your kid is safe and well taken care of. For Danby and Caroline, there are less than 165 slots for over 400 kids in need, and the childcare that is available is prohibitively expensive. It’s a big reason young families are leaving the area. I’ll advocate for the county to go after state funding and stand up childcare centers whenever and wherever possible to make sure Danby, Caroline, and Tompkins County is a good place to live, work, and raise a family.

What is one thing about yourself that you believe is important but that most voters probably don’t know?

Many people don’t know that I used to be a registered libertarian. When I was younger, I was concerned with keeping the freedoms we already had and felt disaffected by the national conversations that seemed to prioritize wealthy interests over normal people. Through union organizing, I realized that many libertarian principles were actually in conflict with the values I hold dear: labor power, community, a strong social safety net (eg. social security), and democracy. With Donald Trump and a destructive right attracting so many disaffected Americans, I would represent a Democratic party that doesn’t shut people out, but welcomes those who want positive change, no matter where they come from.

Irene Weiser

What skills and strengths will you bring to the legislature if elected? 

I bring policy and governing experience, and a track record of getting things done. I served nine years on the Caroline Town Board, where I led successful efforts to ban fracking, protect our water, and expand broadband and emergency medical services. For 15 years, I’ve led Fossil Free Tompkins, organizing residents and working with policy makers to shut down the Cayuga coal plant, stop new gas pipelines, and win millions in clean energy funding. And for years, I’ve challenged NYSEG [New York State Electric & Gas] to deliver fair rates and an affordable clean energy transition. With more than half the County Legislature turning over, I’m the only candidate ready to hit the ground running.

What is one issue you are passionate about and why? 

I’m passionate about planning for climate change related extreme weather events.  Climate change is already affecting us — over the past few years we’ve seen heavy rains, flooding, extreme heat, drought, a local wildfire, and hazardous air from distant fires. Thankfully, we haven’t seen a full-scale disaster yet, but the risks are real. We must plan now — not after a crisis hits. The County can and must lead coordinated planning across emergency services, public health, human services, local governments, and community partners to keep people safe.

What is one thing about yourself that you believe is important but that most voters probably don’t know? 

One thing most voters probably don’t know is that I’m a former emergency clinic veterinarian. That experience taught me to listen carefully, solve problems under pressure, and approach every challenge with both compassion and clarity. I came to Cornell to do a residency, and was later invited to join the Cornell faculty. There, I developed the prototype for the case-based, patient-centered curriculum that’s still in use today — emphasizing that knowledge evolves and that good solutions are sensitive to people and circumstances. That approach — asking the right questions and seeking the best answers for the circumstances — continues to guide how I think about problem-solving and policy.

Visit the Tompkins County Board of Elections website for poll locations and information about early voting and early mail and absentee ballots: www.tompkinscountyny.gov/All-Departments/Board-of-Elections.