Diversify court: Vote for Blom Johnson

I read with interest Cheryl Roberts’ commentary, “Fighting for transparent nominating process,” Aug. 25. She is to be commended for her efforts to highlight underrepresentation on the state Supreme Court.

Voters of the Third Judicial District should not be satisfied with a judiciary that does not represent the community it serves.

The seven-county district is represented by 18 elected Supreme Court justices. Despite the fact that women constitute 52 percent of the state’s population, only 3 of the 18 justices are women. For years, qualified women have been passed over for their male colleagues. The Democratic Party’s recent decision to nominate three white men is the latest example of the problem.

Voters in our district don’t need to wait to start changing this broken system. This fall, an exceptional female candidate will be on the ballot for Supreme Court: Linda Blom Johnson. Blom Johnson is an experienced litigator with 17 years’ experience in Supreme Court. She has dedicated her career to serving regular people, helping injured workers get justice, handling indigent criminal appeals and representing small-business owners. As the working mother of two daughters and past president of the Capital District Women’s Bar Association, Blom Johnson understands the challenges faced by women. Did I mention that Blom Johnson holds a black belt in taekwondo, coaches Special Olympics and co-founded a community ski club?

I will vote for Blom Johnson this fall. Everyone who believes in diversifying the court and promoting qualified women should do the same.

shauna Mckeown Averill Park