LI judicial races draw big bucks

Daily Point

Elections for Supreme Court judgeships turn competitive

Are you itching to wear judicial robes and smack down the gavel of justice? Better be ready to shell out big bucks to win a seat on a bench.

As campaigns for federal House and Senate races smash records this year, locally, cash in judicial campaigns is trending. For the first time in almost a decade, state Supreme Court, 10th District judicial races are competitive after the usual dealmaking by party leaders fell apart over the summer.

That means anyone who wants to be a state Supreme Court justice has to make sure voters know their name — and that takes money.

On the 2026 ballot are 14 candidates vying for eight state Supreme Court judgeships. While the judges will sit in either Nassau or Suffolk counties, all Long Islanders will choose among the 14 candidates. Only two of them — Leonard D. Steinman and Joy M. Watson — are cross-endorsed by the Democratic, Republican and Conservative parties. Five candidates — John Iliou, James A. McDonaugh, Mary Kate Mullen, Kelly A. Reape and Karen M. Wilutis — have Republican and Conservative backing. Another five candidates — John Kelly, Mary E. Porter, Eric Sachs, Stephen L. Ukeiley and William D. Wexler — have only Democratic backing. Richard Ambro is backed by the Democratic and Republican parties.

Anthony R. Portesy has Conservative backing, but Portesy is a Democratic Party committee member who took the Conservative Party line to get off the ballot for Suffolk County clerk as part of the wheeling and dealing. He posted on social media this summer that he wasn't looking to become a judge.

Judgeships lately have been uncontested affairs, and even in 2026, that remains the rule for district court, county court and family court positions on the ballot on Long Island.

But this year, with so many candidates running competitive races for the eight state Supreme Court seats, the money has been flowing in and out of campaign coffers. Lawn signs for judges are sprouting on the roadway medians.

Iliou leads the pack with $100,863.79 spent to win a judgeship. His campaign finance filings with the New York State Board of Elections show he spent about $70,000 on television, radio and online advertisements, and $3,500 for a campaign consultant.

McDonaugh reported spending just over $47,000 on his campaign while Steinman spent more than $27,000. Ukeiley spent over $10,800 while Mullen spent just over $4,300.

Reape raised over $14,000 but didn't report spending any money. Other judicial candidates who raised money but didn't spend any were: Sachs ($5,200); Wilutis ($2,100); Porter ($2,175); and Watson ($200). Ambro, Kelly, Portesy and Wexler didn't report any money raised or spent. The most recent filings covered contributions up to Oct. 19, so the earning and spending is likely higher.

Longtime Long Island Republican political strategist Michael Dawidziak told The Point that money pouring into state Supreme Court elections this year makes sense because the races are competitive after cross-endorsements fell through.

"What makes it unusual today is that we haven't had competitive races for these judgeships in almost 10 years," Dawidziak said. "It's a throwback to when judges had to raise money ... In a competitive Supreme Court race, you could have a candidate raise north of $300,000."

Dawidziak said the cross-endorsement deals falling through forced judicial candidates to quickly raise money to reach nearly 2 million voters in both Nassau and Suffolk counties. "That's a big district to run in," he said.

And that type of campaigning requires cash to get a candidate's name front and center in voters' minds.

Don't feel too bad, though, for judicial candidates who found themselves having to fundraise this year. Judicial candidates benefit from what Dawidziak called "cottage industries" that typically flock to courts. Those businesses are eager to donate to future judges' campaigns.

— Mark Nolan mark.nolan@newsday.com

Pencil Point

The takeaway

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Final Point

Quotation politics

Even outside election season, it's typical for Gov. Kathy Hochul's news releases to include a slew of quotations from supporters backing her decisions and singing her praises.

Tuesday's release that she's distributing $32 million in Long Island Investment Fund money to six local housing developments seemed like just another correspondence. But as Hochul battles Long Island's Bruce Blakeman, the GOP Nassau County executive, for the governorship, it was unusually telling that the release, which featured numerous local backers of the initiative, included two Republicans.

In the news release, Republican Islip Town Supervisor Angie Carpenter pointed to the two Islip developments that received funds — St. Joseph's Village in Brentwood and Steel Campus in Central Islip — and indicated a desire to work together with Hochul in the future.

"We sincerely thank Governor Hochul for her continued partnership and support of housing initiatives that address one of the most pressing challenges facing Long Island, particularly housing that is affordable for working families, young professionals, seniors, veterans and those who want to remain in the communities they call home," Carpenter said in the statement. "We appreciate the Governor's focus on these priorities and look forward to continuing our work together to build stronger, more vibrant communities for generations to come."

And Westbury Mayor Peter Cavallaro, the former North Hempstead GOP chairman who's still a registered Republican, chose a more general route, pointing to the AR Westbury project near the village Long Island Rail Road station.

"These investments are important and necessary and ensure a sustainable and vibrant future for our community," Cavallaro was quoted as saying.

Cavallaro told The Point that he doesn't see efforts like Hochul's — or his response — through a political lens.

"It has nothing to do with politics in my view," he said. "It has everything to do with trying to advance the ball on some of these important projects ... It's nice that you can take the politics out of that and work with everybody."

Hochul spokesman Gordon Tepper told The Point that Hochul "will work with anyone, regardless of political party, to deliver for New Yorkers on Long Island and across the state."

Added Empire State Development spokesman Matthew Gorton: "Governor Hochul's focus is on progress, not politics — and no issue demands more bipartisan partnership and across-the-aisle action than housing ..."

Carpenter, who also was featured in a Hochul news release about funding for the Islip Regional Shellfish Hatchery last week, told The Point that Hochul has supported the needs of Suffolk County and the town, including Long Island MacArthur Airport's redevelopment. Thanking the governor in the releases, Carpenter said, "is the right thing to do."

"I really try not to play politics," Carpenter added.

— Randi F. Marshall randi.marshall@newsday.com

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