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YES! There IS an election this week: VOTE TUESDAY!
There is a primary election this Tuesday, Sept 18th. Voter turnout is expected to be low. You know what that means? It means YOUR VOTE COUNTS. Far more than usual. And many of the races that actually are competitive are ones for judgeships...which can be among the most important positions we vote for. YOUR VOTE COUNTS!
There are contested primary races in every borough except (I think) Staten Island. You can find a brief rundown on what is at stake on Tuesday at the DFNYC website. But I only know about my local Brooklyn races. Here are the races I know of that are at least somewhat competitive, and so are really quite critical that people vote. YES...YOUR VOTE COUNTS! If people know of others, please mention them in the comments.
BROOKLYN CIVIL COURT 5th DISTRICT: (Bay Ridge, Bensonhurst, Dyker Heights, Windsor Terrace, Borough Park, Sunset Park, a sliver of Park Slope, and Parkville) Many of my political connections consider THIS the most important race this year in NYC, considering it more important than the Brooklyn Surrogate Race. Yet it has mostly been under people's radar. This race pits Karen Yellen, who already has 10 years experience as a Civil Court judge, against Noach Dear, who has been rated "unqualified" by the NYC Bar Assn., is known to have failed the bar exam twice and is not known to have ever actually practiced law. It is hard to believe that someone with such poor qualifications as Dear has would even be considered for a judgeship.
BROOKLYN SURROGATE JUDGE: (EVERY registered Democrat in Brooklyn can vote in this one). This is one of two Brooklyn surrogate judgeships that determine wills and probate cases. That means lots of people's lives can depend on having good judges. This race pits Diana Johnson, a State Supreme Court justice with 16 years experience who narrowly lost a race for surrogate two years ago, and Shawndya Simpson, a Civil Court judge. This may be the most controversial race of the year because both candidates have support from unsavory characters who have been accused of corruption. Johnson has more judicial experience and definitely lives in the district. Simpson is qualified but has less actual judicial experience and there is some doubt about where her actual residency is (there is some indication she really lives in New Jersey where her husband and young children live).
BROOKLYN CIVIL COURT 6th DISTRICT: (Flatbush, Park Slope, Prospect Heights, Prospect-Lefferts, Midwood and parts of Crown Heights) This race pits Kathy Levine, a senior attorney with NY State United Teachers against Sharen Hudson, a former law clerk fir judge Diana Johnson.
If you want more information, here are some endorsements and articles of interest:
Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats; and more about CBID's endorsements, here. CBID also endorsed Karen Yellen for the 5th district race but it hasn't made it to their website yet.
Independent Neighborhood Democrats; more on IND's endorsements here.
Lambda Independent Democrats. LID has not endorsed in the 5th but has sent out a warning against voting for Noach Dear, accusing him of homophobia.
