In one of the most stunning upsets in Jericho’s history, Kenny Jin, a write-in candidate who launched his campaign just 11 days before the election, defeated the only printed name on the ballot, Jenn Camhi, by a commanding 117 votes.
Final unofficial results:
- Kenny Jin (Write-In): 811
- Jenn Camhi: 694
This was more than a victory. It was a message.
Jenn Camhi was never supposed to lose. She was handpicked, endorsed, and already being celebrated by board members Jill Citron and Divya Balachandar before a single vote was cast. The assumption was that the community would stay quiet, fall in line, and let it happen again.
This wasn’t her first attempt. It was her second loss in two years — and the margin wasn’t even close.
But Jericho woke up.
Kenny Jin made his candidacy official on May 9. The election was May 20. That left just 11 days. Eleven days to organize, educate, and overcome the near-impossible odds of a write-in campaign.
There was no name on the ballot. No institutional support. No early endorsements. There was only one thing: a community that had been ignored for too long and had finally had enough.
What followed wasn’t gradual. It was electric.
Parents spread the word in rain, wind, and whatever conditions came their way. They handed out flyers, answered questions, and explained how to write in a candidate. Volunteers broke it down for friends and strangers. Group chats lit up. Conversations happened around kitchen tables, outside schools, in driveways, and on the sidelines of weekend games. A movement took hold.
And then the votes came in.
Not a squeaker. Not a photo finish. A write-in candidate, with no ballot placement, no party support, and almost no time, won by 117 votes. In a local school board race, where margins are often razor-thin, this wasn’t just a win. It was a landslide. The kind you don’t see coming. The kind that flattens assumptions. The kind that makes it clear the community isn’t whispering anymore.
And to the Jericho PTA, you need to hear this.
You’ve lost your way.
The PTA is supposed to represent all parents. Not just the ones you agree with. Not just the ones in your group chats. Not just the ones who go along to get along. For far too long, you’ve operated like a private club—dismissive, condescending, and closed off to anyone who challenges your circle. This election was a rejection of that culture.
The silent majority is silent no more.
You don’t get to decide who gets a voice. You don’t get to gatekeep what parent involvement should look like. This election wasn’t just a referendum on one candidate. It was a wake-up call to every institution in Jericho that has forgotten who it serves.
The community spoke. Loudly. And it said we’re done being ignored.
To Kenny, thank you for stepping up when it would’ve been easier to stay out. Your integrity, humility, and commitment to what’s right brought people together across every line the establishment tried to draw.
To every parent, every neighbor, every student who made this happen, this is your win.
But this is just the beginning.
Next May, two more seats are up: Jill Citron and Divya Balachandar. If you’re tired of the exclusion, the politics, and the performative back-patting, this is your moment. We need new candidates. We need bold voices. We need people who remember that public service is about service, not social status.
The board doesn’t belong to them. It belongs to all of us.
Start now. Step up. Stay loud.
Because we’re not going back.
