So my goal of sitting out the 2007 elections in NYC is now out the window. I have had many conversations about the Brooklyn judicial elections and, in preparation for the CBID and IND endorsement meetings coming up this week and next week, I want to take two stands. I am tentatively supporting Diana Johnson for the second surrogate seat in Brooklyn and I am supporting Devin Cohen for 6th Civil Court. I agonized about the Surrogate race in a previous diary, and won't go into the gory details here. The gist is that all of the candidates have some good and bad going for them, but in the end I have heard the best things said about Diana Johnson, even by those who aren't supporting her. Miller is too immersed in the Brooklyn machine, more so than Johnson, at least now. The other candidates just don't do it for me, though Graham might be my second choice largely because I have known him, liked him and respected him. But Diana Johnson is more experienced than Graham and less tainted by the machine than Miller. She is a good judge and seems to have the respect even of people who have previously been on opposite sides from her. So, for now I am supporting Diana Johnson and have agreed to be on a letter to that effect within CBID. My main hesitation is that I want to hear and meet the candidates before I feel fully confident in that choice, but the more I have talked to people, the more I have liked Diana. My support for Devin Cohen is more personal and required far less in the way of gory details. Devin is a good friend, having known my wife for many years, and is the reason my wife and I got involved in local Brooklyn politics. It is quite possible I would not be blogging here and certainly would not have gained quite the infamy I did during last year's elections had Devin not gotten me interested in IND. Devin is smart and his integrity is respected even by those who don't agree with him on issues. He has shown a large, if quiet, commitment to the community as a volunteer ambulance driver and medic. He has done more community involvement than I can ever remember, including through his judo dojo. Simply put, whatever differences I have on political details with Devin, he is someone who is extremely dedicated and someone I trust more than anyone else in local politics. Perhaps that sounds like damning with faint praise, but it isn't intended to be. He would make a great judge and I am confident in my support of him. So, looking towards the CBID and IND endorsement meetings, I am personally supporting these two candidates. I should note that being a board member of IND, I will ultimately have to support IND's endorsements or resign from the board, one reason I had previously hesitated to take a stand in advance. That is a decision I will have to make at the time and will also partly depend on what I think of the other candidates once I hear them. My current decision is based on lots of discussion and lots of homework, but to date I have only met Bernie Graham in the Surrogate race and Devin Cohen in the 6th.