A 20-year-old member of the Communist Party USA, Hannah Shvets, has been elected to the Ithaca Common Council in New York’s Fifth Ward. Shvets, a Cornell University sophomore, defeated independent candidate G.P. Zurenda in the November election.

Shvets’ victory was celebrated by the Cornell Young Democratic Socialists of America, which shared a post featuring her alongside a cardboard cutout of newly elected New York City Mayor Eric Adams. The group highlighted her as the youngest socialist elected in U.S. history, emphasizing her role in advancing a “new socialist future.”

During her campaign, Shvets advocated for rent stabilization, increased housing supply, and raising the minimum wage to $25 per hour. She also pledged to implement a just-cause employment policy to protect workers from arbitrary dismissal. Her platform aligned with broader progressive policies seen in New York City’s recent elections.

Prior to the November 4 vote, four of 10 Ithaca Common Council seats were held by Cornell students, reflecting the university’s influence on local politics. Shvets’ election marks a significant shift toward socialist-aligned governance in the upstate town.