7 Democrats now leading contest for state Supreme Court
The seven candidates who ran on the Democratic Party line are leading the race for seven state Supreme Court justice seats in New York’s Ninth Judicial District.
With 1,926 of 1,975 districts reporting as of Wednesday afternoon, Anne E. Minihan led the pack of 14 candidates with 317,968 votes, according to unofficial election results. Other top vote-getters included David S. Zuckerman with 300,617 votes, Elena Goldberg Velazquez with 300,500 votes, David J. Squirrell with 298,965 votes, Sherri Eisenpress with 291,735 votes, Keri A. Fiore with 284,598 votes and Amy S. Puerto with 282,805 votes.
Trailing were John A. Sarcone with 280,728 votes, John Ciampoli with 276,129 votes, Linda M. Murray with 261,339, Richard Guertin with 254,520, Joseph I. Farca with 242,677, Michael J. Grace with 241,203, and Robert S. Cypher Jr. with 239,919 votes.
The Ninth Judicial District comprises Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, and Westchester counties.
Minihan, 55, ran on the Democratic and Conservative party lines. She lives in Croton-on-Hudson in Westchester County and received her Juris Doctor degree from Pace University School of Law in 1992.
Minihan is an administrative judge in the Ninth Judicial District. She previously worked as an assistant district attorney in the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office and had served as an acting village justice in Croton-on-Hudson and Buchanan. Minihan has also served as Westchester County Court Judge, as a court attorney referee in the Ninth Judicial District, and as an acting justice of the state Supreme Court.
Zuckerman, 64, ran on the Democratic and Conservative party lines. He lives in White Plains in Westchester County and received his Juris Doctor degree in 1982 from the Boston University School of Law.
Currently, Zuckerman is a state Supreme Court justice. He previously served as a judge in Westchester, Putnam, Dutchess, and Rockland counties, and as an assistant district attorney. Zuckerman also teaches other judges at the New York State Judicial Institute.
Velazquez, 40, ran on the Democratic and Conservative party lines. She lives in Yonkers in Westchester County and received her Juris Doctor degree in 2006 from the CUNY School of Law.
Velazquez has been a Yonkers City Court judge since 2019 and an acting family court judge. She previously worked as a court attorney in the state Supreme Court’s Appellate
Division, First Department.
Squirrell, 58, ran on the Democratic and Conservative party lines. He lives in Mount Kisco in Westchester County and received his Juris Doctor degree in 1990 from St. John’s University School of Law.
Squirrell is the executive director and chief attorney of the Putnam County Legal Aid Society. He previously served as an assistant district attorney in the New York County District Attorney’s Office. Squirrell has 30 years of experience litigating in the state Supreme Court and served as trial counsel on matters in every county of the Ninth Judicial District.
Eisenpress, 62, ran on the Democratic and Conservative party lines. She lives in Valley Cottage in Rockland County and received her Juris Doctor degree in 1989 from New York Law School.
Eisenpress has been a Rockland County Family Court judge for 11 years and also currently serves as an acting justice for the state Supreme Court, Ninth Judicial District. From 1993 to 2011, she was an associate and partner in the law firm of Reiss, Eisenpress, and Sheppe.
Fiore, 42, ran on the Democratic Party line. She lives in Cortlandt Manor in Westchester County and received her Juris Doctor degree in 2007 from Howard University School of Law.
Currently, Fiore serves as a support magistrate for the state Unified Court System, presiding over child support, spousal support, and paternity matters. She previously served as an associate court attorney and as a law clerk and assistant law clerk.
Puerto, 47, ran on the Democratic Party line. She lives in Katonah in Westchester County and received her Juris Doctor in 2000 from Brooklyn Law School.
Puerto is a principal court attorney to Westchester County Court Judge Helen Blackwood. She previously served as an assistant district attorney in the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office.