Independence official OK'd for state court

State and Suffolk Independence Party chairman Frank MacKay came up a winner during the annual rush to adjourn the Albany legislation session, seeing his Southampton Town party chairman, Stephen Lynch, confirmed by the State Senate for a 10-year term as a state Court of Claims judge.

Lynch, 61, of Speonk, initially was the minor party's candidate for state attorney general in 2010 but yielded so the party could cross-endorse Eric Schneiderman, who'd won a five-way Democratic primary. MacKay also supported Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo. Lynch got off the statewide ballot line by running for State Supreme Court judge -- in Monroe County. Lynch currently works as law clerk to Democratic State Supreme Court Justice William Rebolini.

-- Rick Brand