The local Republican Party announced this evening that Cornell senior Misha Checkovich will be the party’s nominee to fill the seat on the Common Council left vacant by the sudden resignation of Eddie Rooker, ’09. Rooker, who has represented the 4th Ward since 2009, will be leaving his seat to attend New York University Law School.
Checkovich began expressing interest in the position in late August when news of Rooker’s resignation started to surface. Those dreams were realized today when she, with the support of local GOP leader Janis Kelly, officially announced the candidacy.
Checkovich made the announcement at the weekly College Republicans meeting.
“I want to run in order to affect common sense solutions to the problems facing the Collegetown community,” she announced. “I need your help to keep the seat in the hands of a Cornell student who understands the area.”
The Democratic opponent, as announced by the Sun this morning, will be Stephen Smith, a graduate of the State University of New York at Geneseo who has spent his time since graduation managing the campaigns of Democrats around the country.
Checkovich studies in the College of Arts and Sciences as a History major. She has been involved with the Cornell Republicans and Cornell Chamber Orchestra since transferring to Cornell her sophomore year. She currently resides on Stewart Avenue in Collegetown.
“I consider C-Town an integral part of the Cornell experience, and have been saddened by the deterioration of the housing and business environment” she added. “I want to make this a more livable area, not just a place people come to because they were pushed out by trends in campus policies in housing and Greek life. Unfortunately, there are a lot of entrenched interests that have created byzantine regulations that do not make sense in the 21st century.”
Ninety-seven percent of the Fourth Ward is currently comprised of Cornell students. Besides Rooker, the area is currently represented by Graham Kerslick, who is the first non-student to serve the district since 2004.
