Hornell Common Council appoints Democrat to fill 3rd Ward vacancy

Neal Simon, The Evening Tribune
·2 min read

Voters in Hornell’s 3rd Ward will elect an alderperson in November in an off-year Common Council race.

The winner of the Nov. 8 election will serve the remainder of an unexpired two-year term following the resignation of 3rd Ward Alderman John P. Allison earlier this month.

Allison, a Democrat first elected to the council in 2019 and reelected in 2021, resigned the seat after he and his family moved outside the City of Hornell.

On May 16, the Common Council appointed the Rev. Cedric Cooper, senior pastor of the First Baptist Church of Hornell, to fill the 3rd Ward position until the November election.

More: Hornell Mayor John Buckley wins re-election over Democratic challenger Rich Argentieri

For subscribers: 'She was dying': Why thousands of NY nursing home complaints during COVID are unresolved

Hornell Mayor John Buckley, a Republican, said the Common Council traditionally appoints a person from the same party when the city council has a vacancy.

Party committees will choose 3rd Ward candidates

According to Buckley, there will be no petitioning to get on the ballot. Instead, he said Hornell’s Democratic and Republican committees will nominate candidates for the race.

A May 19 letter from the Steuben County Board of Elections to the Hornell Republican and Democratic chairs specifies that certificates of nominations and letters of acceptance must be filed with the elections office by July 28.

At least one candidate has expressed a desire to receive the Republican Committee's nod. Former 3rd Ward Alderman Joseph McKay said he wants to return to the Common Council. The Republican represented the 3rd Ward from 2014 to 2019.

Hornell businesses: Hornell Partners for Growth turns the page after NYS Comptroller's critical audit

Public safety: Police say Rushford man choked dog to death, stole $30K in gold during burglary

"With the combination of my previous experience on the Common Council and desire to help people, I am very excited to have the opportunity to represent the residents of the 3rd Ward," McKay said in a May 20 press release.

Republicans currently hold a 7-3 advantage on the Hornell Common Council.

Follow Neal Simon on Twitter @HornellTribNeal. To get unlimited access to the latest news, please subscribe or activate your digital account today

This article originally appeared on The Evening Tribune: Cedric Cooper appointed to fill vacancy on Hornell Common Council