20-Year-Old Communist Wins Ithaca City Council Seat

Hannah Shvets, a 20-year-old Cornell student, won Ithaca’s Fifth Ward Common Council seat on Tuesday, defeating independent G.P. Zurenda in the contested council race.

Shvets took 64.12% to Zurenda’s 35.36%, with the “Affordable Ithaca” line listed for Zurenda, The Ithacan reported. Shvets ran as a Democrat and was endorsed by local left-wing groups including Ithaca DSA, Cornell YDSA and the Ithaca Tenants Union, her campaign site says. She has been described as a member of the Communist Party USA by People’s World, a CPUSA-aligned outlet. (RELATED: Midwest Mamdani Fails In Bid To Turn Minneapolis Socialist)

“Fundamentally, having higher wages is good for everyone, including businesses,” Shvets reportedly said in October while pushing a city minimum wage pegged to the Tompkins County living wage. “I think it creates healthier environments and people feel more inspired to do their work.”

People are literally starving to death and dying from preventable health issues in “the wealthiest country in the world” and our government is spending their energy tweeting about “anti-communist week.” Absolutely insane https://t.co/4fDG0DJ15u

— Hannah shvets (@HannahShvets05) November 10, 2025

The Fifth Ward covers much of Cornell’s North Campus and nearby residential neighborhoods. Shvets’ platform centers on just-cause employment protections, rent measures and expanding transit — priorities she claimed will make the college town affordable for both students and long-time residents.

Zurenda, a psychotherapist and former Democratic primary candidate who created the Affordable Ithaca Party to continue to November, campaigned on lowering property taxes, tightening city management and pushing Cornell to pay more under its memorandum with the city.

The Ithacan’s tally shows Shvets as one of two winners in contested city races, alongside Jorge DeFendini in Ward 1. Tompkins County’s Board of Elections has posted unofficial countywide results and will certify totals after canvassing.