As schools wrap up their academic year and parents pack supplies for summer camp, early voting will take place between June 15 and 23 for a number of local offices. They may not appear consequential, but lines on the ballot such as surrogate or civil court judge provide an opportunity for voters to participate in the judicial process. Often, it is the executive and legislative branches that appear on the ballot, and judges are usually nominated by party leaders, running unopposed, and sometimes on the lines of both major parties.
This year there is a primary for Surrogate Judge, the office that hears cases on wills, administration of estates, disputed claims, discovery proceedings, wrongful death actions, and guardianships. Cassandra Johnson has the backing of Queens Democratic Party leaders, and local electeds such as State Sen. Leroy Comrie, Assemblymen Sam Berger and David Weprin, and Councilwoman Lynn Schulman.
A lifelong Queens resident, she graduated from St. John’s University Law School and went on to serve as a county Supreme Court judge, where she presides over civil cases on real estate, contracts, labor law, premises liability, motor vehicle accidents, foreclosures, and general negligence.
“A lot of this work I feel has prepared me for the next step in my journey to serve, as I run for the position of Surrogate’s Court judge,” she wrote in her pitch to voters.
Her opponent is Wendy Li, who grew up in China and received her first law degree at Peking University. She immigrated to America at age 28, and received additional degrees at Southern Methodist University, Oxford, and Harvard. For the past six years, Li has served as a judge in the city’s Civil Court and served as a Board Director/Secretary of the Asian American Judges Association of New York. Her goal for the Surrogate’s Court is to make it more accessible to plaintiffs, with expanded online services, interpreters for non-English speakers, and extended hours. Li is endorsed by the Asian American Bar Association of New York.
For Civil Court Judge, the Democratic Primary has four candidates: Glenda Hernandez, Julie Milner, Sharifa Nasser-Cuellar, and Amish Doshi. The last two have the endorsement of the county party organization, led by Rep. Greg Meeks. Born in India, Doshi immigrated with his parents at age ten, settling in Forest Hills. He attended the neighborhood’s public schools and earned a degree in accounting at Queens College. When he decided to change careers, he attended New York Law School at night while holding a full-time job. His experience in accounting and law led Doshi to work for the State Attorney General’s office, where he investigated Medicaid fraud.
For state elected offices, the divide between centrists and progressives is heated in the district covering Sunnyside, Ridgewood, and Middle Village, where incumbent Juan Ardila is fighting to keep his Assembly seat amid allegations of improper behavior. He was elected in 2022 in an open seat race, backed by progressives who now support Claire Valdez. A union organizer, she has the DSA endorsement with a platform that includes boycotting Israel and accusations of genocide. Unfortunately, in western Queens, “democratic socialism” has been a winning message, with the City Council, State Assembly, State Senate, and Congressional seats represented by individuals hostile towards Israel.
The most reasonable candidate in the three-person primary for the 37th District is Johanna Carmona, an attorney who represented first responders and emergency workers, later serving in the Special Victims Bureau in the Brooklyn District Attorney’s office. Her most recent job was at the City Council, where she served as the Legislative Administrative Manager for Speaker Adrienne Adams.
In Flushing, the 40th Assembly District also has a high-profile race between progressive incumbent Ron Kim and Yi Andy Chen. Having been elected in 2012, Kim has a long list of bills that passed, advocating for nail salon owners, and criticizing former Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Covid policies. But his past support for Bernie Sanders, repealing cash bail, decriminalizing prostitution, and defunding the police are clouding his reelection prospects as voters express concern about crime.
Chen emigrated from China with his family at age 13, attending public schools and CUNY, then building his career as a small business owner. Capitalizing on the unpopularity of progressive policies, Chen amassed a sizable campaign war chest and endorsements from civic groups in Flushing, giving him an unusually strong chance of unseating Kim. Recognizing the shifting tide of public opinion, Kim recently spoke up in favor of anti-squatter legislation and supporting police. Chen’s supporters argue that even before this election, Kim was a weak incumbent, having won in 2022 against little-known Republican challenger Sharon Liao by less than 500 votes, an unexpected result in this majority Democratic district.
Although both districts have a very small number of Jewish constituents, activists in our community are involved in these races knowing that each seat matters in the State Assembly when it comes to votes on education, public safety, and support for Israel.
As history-making is concerned, we have yet to see a Bukharian Jew elected to public office in this city; but look carefully on the ballot and you’ll see Forest Hills resident Diana Rachnaev running for State Committee in the 28th Assembly District, and her neighbor Lilianna Zulunova (better known as Yelizarov – she uses her maiden name on the ballot) for Alternate Delegate for Judicial Convention. Former City Council candidate David Aronov is running unopposed for District Leader. Neither of these seats is a paid position, but it gives them a voice in the party on priority matters and filling vacancies. It is a humble start and hopefully will lead to a higher profile office in the future.
Democratic voters in West Hempstead also have a primary to fill the State Senate seat vacated by Kevin Thomas. In this race there are two accomplished Black women lawmakers who grew up on Long Island. Siela Bynoe worked as a mortgage loan consultant and credit loan officer, connecting her bank to home buyers. The experience inspired her to advocate for affordable housing and first-time homeowners. She was elected to the Nassau County Legislature in 2014, representing Hempstead, Hicksville, Lakeview, Malverne, and a portion of West Hempstead.
Taylor Darling has been competing since childhood, playing chess since age four and participating in tournaments. She was elected to the State Assembly in 2018, defeating incumbent Earlene Hooper. In her campaign pitch to voters, Darling spoke about prioritizing education, improving wages, expanding childcare, protecting the environment, and public safety.
Both candidates have high-profile endorsements, sizable war chests, and a list of accomplishments, but from my experience as an active member of the party, I have only seen Taylor Darling reaching out personally in West Hempstead by attending community events and knocking on doors.
Although Long Island has trended in favor of Republicans in recent elections, the Sixth State Senate District has Democratic strongholds such as Hempstead and Lakeview within its borders, making it very likely that Kevin Thomas’ successor will be a member of his party, and in this case, a Black woman. The Republican who will face the winner of this primary is Oceanside attorney Thomas Montefinise.
Finally, there is one federal seat race that is consequential in which the Jewish vote can make the difference: the 16th District, which covers Westchester County and a small portion of the Bronx. This is where incumbent Jamaal Bowman is fighting to keep his seat as he disparages Israel with accusations of genocide. He has support from the DSA and progressive donors from across the country.
Fortunately, his opponent is very well-known and respected by voters across the social spectrum. Westchester County Executive George Latimer is running as the centrist, and many local Jewish volunteers have gone to the district to offer their support, including Assembly Members Sam Berger, Andrew Hevesi, and Nily Rozic, knocking on doors in Yonkers, Scarsdale, and New Rochelle, reminding Jewish voters in that district that they have an opportunity to unseat a member of the Squad.
The Queens Jewish Link encourages our readers to be involved in the political process by voting in the upcoming primary. The last day to vote in person is June 25.
By Sergey Kadinsky
