Finding Ulysses

Trumansburg resident Allen Carstensen has indicated his intention to run as a candidate for the position of Supervisor of the Town of Ulysses. Earlier this week, at a meeting of the Tompkins County Green Party, Carstensen received the Green Party endorsement for his campaign.

That makes Carstensen the first endorsed candidate for Supervisor of Ulysses in 2009. The endorsement puts a wrinkle in the plans of the Ulysses Democrats and the Ulysses Republicans.

Chris Thomas, a Libertarian-turned-Democrat currently sitting on the Trumansburg Board of Trustees, announced his decision to seek the Democratic nomination for Supervisor a few weeks ago. However, local Republican elected officials have indicated the Republican intention to give Thomas the Republican endorsement as well. Chris Thomas gave some mixed signals, suggesting that he might accept that endorsement

Thus, it seemed that Ulysses voters were going to be robbed of the opportunity to select their own Supervisor yet again, with political party insiders coming to a cozy arrangement to avoid an electoral competition. Democracy returns to Ulysses with Carstensen’s success in seeking the support of the Greens.

The Ulysses Democrats and Republicans have yet to hold the caucuses that will officially select a candidate for Supervisor. Perhaps, yet again, the Democrats and Republicans will arrange to support the very same candidate. Perhaps Allen Carstensen’s Green campaign will force the Democrats and Republicans to actually compete against each other. The political situation is too fresh, and too unprecedented, for certain analysis.

What’s for sure, however, is that voters in Ulysses, many of whom are independents, will actually have the ability to choose their own Supervisor, instead of just depending upon the Democrats and Republicans to make an arrangement that’s suitable to them. That’s an important improvement in itself, for which we can all be thankful to Carstensen, whatever our political registration may be.