New York judicial elections, 2014

New York judicial elections, 2014
Overview
Total candidates:	154
Primary candidates:	68
General election candidates:	136
Incumbency
Incumbents:	34
Incumbent success rate:	76%
Competition - general election
Percent of candidates in contested races:	77%
Percent uncontested:	23%

2015 → ← 2013
Judicial Elections
Judicial elections, 2014
Judicial election dates
Candidates by state
Supreme court elections

Last updated: November 2014

New York judicial elections are held every year. A total of 154 individuals sought a judgeship in 2014, 34 of whom were incumbents. Thirty-one ran unopposed in the general election. Another 105, however, faced competition in November.

Most races were for open seats, and several had more than two candidates. For example, one district court race for four open seats featured ten office seekers, with no incumbents.

The candidates for the state's supreme courts (in New York, the primary trial courts) were selected through a system of party conventions rather than primaries. Citizens voted for convention delegates in September, and the delegates then chose the candidates to fill November's general election ballot. Voters made the final decision among the candidates selected for the general election. (See below for more information)

See New York elections summary, 2014 for an overview of the state's election results.

Election dates

• August 4: Candidates certified for the primary ballot
• September 9: Primary
• September 23: Filing deadline for supreme court candidates chosen to run in the general election
• November 4: General election

General election: Contested races

(I) denotes incumbent

Supreme Court, 2nd District, Seats 1-4 (4 seats)

• Anthony R. Caccamo, 2.5%A
• Dennis W. Houdek, 2%A
• Evelyn J. Laporte, 14.7%A
• Kathy King, 14.2%A
• Kenneth D. Schaeffer, 2.8%A
• Kevin R. Bryant, Sr., 2.7%A
• Lara J. Genovesi, 13%A
• Matthew A. Doheny, 2.3%A
• Philip J. Smallman, 2.2%A
• Wavny Toussaint, 12.5%A

Supreme Court, 3rd District, Seat 1

• Justin O. Corcoran, 41.8%A
• Lisa M. Fisher, 48.7%A

Supreme Court, 5th District, Seat 1

• Brian F. DeJoseph (I), 50.9%A
• Robert Patrick O'Leary, 41%A

Supreme Court, 8th District, Seats 1-5 (5 seats)

• Daniel J. Furlong, 1.1%A
• Dennis E. Ward, 14.1%A
• Donna M. Siwek (I), 15.5%A
• E. Jeannette Ogden, 14.4%A
• Frederick J. Marshall, 11.0%A
• John J. DelMonte, 6.7%A
• Mary Slisz, 1.7%A
• Paul B. Wojtaszek, 14.0%A

Supreme Court, 9th District, Seat 1

• James W. Hubert, Jr., 46.9%A
• Montgomery J. Delaney, 43.2%A

Supreme Court, 10th District, Seats 1-6 (6 seats)

• Angelo A. Delligatti, 12.9%A
• Anna R. Anzalone, 13.1%A
• David A. Morris, .9%A
• Gail Prudenti (I), 14.2%A
• Kathy G. Bergmann, .9%A
• Michele M. Woodard (I), 1.5%A
• Sandra L. Sgroi (I), 14.4%A
• Sharon Gianelli, 12.9%A
• Thomas F. Whelan (I), 14.2%A

Supreme Court, 11th District, Seats 1-4 (4 seats)

• Anna Culley, 18.1%A
• Carmen Velasquez, 14.3%A
• John F. Casey, 5.4%A
• Leslie G. Leach, 14%A
• Ronald D. Hollie (I), 16.2%A
• Thomas Benedetto, 1.6%A

New York City Civil Court, Kings County, Countywide

• Vincent F. Martusciello, 14.0%A
• Joy F. Campanelli, 85.8%A

New York City Civil Court, Bronx County, Countywide

• Brenda Rivera, 88.2%A
• Harry Hertzberg, 9.4%A

New York City Civil Court, Bronx County, 2nd District

• Robert D. Siano, 10.0%A
• Lizbeth Gonzalez (I), 90.0%A

Albany County Surrogate's Court, Seat 1

• Stacy L. Pettit, 79.3%A
• Richard J. Sherwood, 20.5%A

Broome County Family Court, Race 1

• Peter P. Charnetsky (I), 22.0%A
• Daniel D. Reynolds, 15.8%A
• Richard H. Miller, II, 31.5%A
• Mark H. Young, 30.6%A

Chautauqua County Family Court, Seat 1

• James J. Spann, Jr., 5.6%A
• Jeffrey A. Piazza, 56.6%A
• Michael J. Sullivan (New York), 6.3%A
• Sally Ann Jaroszynski, 27.6%A

Jefferson County Family Court, Seat 1

• Eugene J. Langone, Jr., 58.8%A
• Kathy L. Quencer, 6.5%A
• Susan A. Sovie, 30.7%A

Nassau County Court, Race 1 (3 seats)

• Caryn R. Fink, 15.6%A
• Francis Ricigliano, 18.1%A
• Steven M. Jaeger (I), 15.3%A
• Tammy S. Robbins (I), 15.5%A
• Terence P. Murphy, 18.1%A
• William O'Brien, 17.5%A

Nassau County District Court, 2nd District (4 seats)

• C. William Gaylor, 12.4%A
• Darlene D. Harris, 13.4%A
• Eileen J. Goggin, 12.3%A
• Fred J. Hirsh (I), 11.6%A
• Ignatius L. Muscarella, 13.4%A
• Michael A. Ciaffa (I), 11.7%A
• Robert E. Pipia, 12.9%A
• Tricia Ferrell (I), 12.4%A

Nassau County District Court, 4th District

• Martin Massell, 60.1%A
• Timothy J. Tenke, 39.9%A

Nassau County Family Court, Race 1 (2 seats)

• Danielle M. Peterson, 27.6%A
• Helen Voutsinas, 24.9%A
• Joseph H. Lorintz, 22.3%
• Thomas Rademaker, 25.2%A

Oneida County Family Court, Seat 1

• Dawn C. Lupi, 37%A
• Julia M. Brouillette, 47.8%A
• Karen Stanislaus, 15.1%A

Orange County Family Court, Seat 1

• Christine M. Krahulik, 51.3%A
• Christine Stage, 48.7%A
• David V. Hasin, .1%A

Oswego County Family Court, Seat 1

• James K. Eby, 60%A
• Lou Anne Rucynski Coleman, 39.9%A

Schenectady County Court, Seat 1

• Kenneth P. Litz, 49.7%A
• Matthew J. Sypniewski, 50.2%A

Schenectady County Family Court, Seat 1

• Deanna L. Siegel, 33.5%A
• Jill S. Polk, 42.9%A
• Ursula E. Hall, 23.5%A

Suffolk County District Court, 3rd District (3 seats)

• C. Stephen Hackeling (I), 19.1%A
• Jim Matthews, 18.1%A
• Patricia Grant Flynn, 18.5%A
• Paul H. Senzer, 15.1%A
• Paul Hensley (I), 15.2%A
• Walter D. Long, Jr., 14.1%A

Suffolk County District Court, 5th District (2 seats)

• Jennifer A. Henry (I), 45.8%A
• William G. Ford (I), 23.4%A
• Pierce Cohalan, 30.8%A

Suffolk County District Court, 6th District

• Linda J. Kevins, 58.0%A
• Stephen L. Ukeiley (I), 42.0%A

Washington County Court, Multi-bench

• Adam D. Michelini, 56.7%A
• Timothy M. Bulger, 35.5%A
• James Curran, 7.6%A

General election: Uncontested

The following candidates were elected or re-elected after running unopposed in the general election.

Appellate courts

Court	Candidate
Click the arrows in the column headings to sort columns alphabetically.
Supreme Court, 12th District	John A. Barone
Supreme Court, 1st District	Kathryn E. Freed
Supreme Court, 1st District	Milton Tingling
Supreme Court, 6th District	Robert C. Mulvey

Trial courts

Court	Candidate
Click the arrows in the column headings to sort columns alphabetically.
New York City Civil Court	Andrew Borrok
Westchester County Court	Anne E. Minihan
New York City Civil Court	Arlene Bluth
Westchester County Family Court	Arlene Elizabeth Katz
Suffolk County Family Court	Barbara Kahn
New York City Civil Court	Cenceria P. Edwards
Franklin County Family Court	Derek P. Champagne
New York City Civil Court	J. Machelle Sweeting
Saratoga County Court	James A. Murphy
St. Lawrence County Court	Jerome J. Richards
St. Lawrence County Surrogate's Court	John F. Richey
Monroe County Surrogate's Court	John Owens
New York City Civil Court	Jose Padilla (New York)
New York City Civil Court Queens County (1st District)	Joseph J. Esposito
New York City Civil Court	Lizette Colon
New York City Civil Court	Louis Nock
Erie County Family Court	Margaret Szczur
Albany County Family Court	Margaret T. Walsh
Chemung County Family Court	Mary M. Tarantelli
Ulster County Surrogate's Court	Mary M. Work
New York City Civil Court Queens County (countywide)	Mojgan Lancman
Suffolk County Court	Philip Goglas
Westchester County Family Court	Rachel Hahn
Albany County Family Court	Richard Rivera
New York City Civil Court	Rosemarie Montalbano
New York City Civil Court	Sharon Clarke
Suffolk County Court	Timothy P. Mazzei

Primary

For candidate lists and results from the judicial primary on September 9, 2014, please see: New York judicial primary elections, 2014.

Supreme court seats up for election

Click "show" to see the list of supreme court seats up for election in 2014.

District:	Seat currently held by:	Reason for vacancy:
1st	Sherry K. Heitler	Age of mandatory retirement
1st	Milton Tingling	End of term
2nd	Yvonne Lewis	Age of mandatory retirement
2nd	Betty J. Williams	Age of mandatory retirement
2nd	James Sullivan	Age of mandatory retirement
2nd	Vacancy	Patricia M. Di Mango retirement
3rd	Vacancy	Joseph C. Teresi retirement
5th	Brian F. DeJoseph	End of term
6th	Robert C. Mulvey	End of term
8th	Ralph A. Boniello III	Age of mandatory retirement
8th	Donna M. Siwek	End of term
8th	Frederick J. Marshall	End of term
8th	John F. O'Donnell	Age of mandatory retirement
8th	Vacancy
9th	Thomas Dickerson	Age of mandatory retirement
10th	John Michael Galasso	Age of mandatory retirement
10th	Sondra Pardes	Age of mandatory retirement
10th	Michele M. Woodard	End of term
10th	Gail Prudenti	End of term
10th	Sandra L. Sgroi	End of term
10th	Thomas F. Whelan	End of term
11th	Augustus C. Agate	Age of mandatory retirement
11th	Rudolph E. Greco, Jr.	Age of mandatory retirement
11th	Ronald D. Hollie	End of term
11th	Vacancy	Jaime Rios retirement
12th	John A. Barone	End of term

Process

Judges in New York are chosen in partisan elections. Judicial elections in the state take place every year. Unlike other states, New York's judicial races may include candidates running for election under multiple party designations. Candidates are allowed to cross-file (to run for office under more than one party designation) and may receive endorsements from each.

Closed primary elections are held to allow members of political parties to select their respective candidates. The candidate who wins the Democratic primary, for example, will go on to be the Democratic nominee in the general election. Independent candidates may also run in the general election, bypassing the primary. If a candidate cross-files, they could run in the general election as Democratic Party candidate, as well as a candidate for one or more other parties.

According to statute, candidates for the supreme courts are chosen indirectly through delegates. Voters elect convention delegates in the primary election and the delegates choose the supreme court candidates who will be on the general election ballot.

Noteworthy events

New York's supreme court election system June 26, 2014

Click for story→

See also: JP Election Brief: Survival of the fittest as more candidates are eliminated Some courts in New York operate statewide; others claim jurisdiction only in New York City (or everywhere but New York City); still others exist only in specific counties. The state's "supreme courts" are not, as elsewhere, the courts of last resort. According to state elections code, candidates for the New York Supreme Court (the primary trial court) are selected through a party convention system. Though primary elections are held, participating state citizens vote for convention delegates rather than potential judges. These delegates convene and select candidates to fill November's general election ballot. In 2004, a group of voters, former judicial candidates and a civic group known as Common Cause attempted to do away with the process, saying it was unconstitutional and discouraged party outsiders from seeking judgeships. A federal appeals court ruled in their favor in 2006, but the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously overturned the decision two years later. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia wrote in the court opinion, "None of our cases establishes an individual's constitutional right to have a 'fair shot' at winning the party's nomination."

See also

• New York judicial elections
• Judicial selection in New York

External links

• New York State Board of Elections