NYC 2025 Election: Judges

Early voting in New York City's 2025 general election started today. Yesterday I posted about the six ballot proposals; today I share some recommendations and links about the seven competitive judicial races (that is, races where there are actually more candidates than open positions). They're all in Manhattan, Queens, or Staten Island; no Bronx or Brooklyn judicial elections are competitive this year. For each candidate in those elections, I did a little web searching and decided on some recommendations. For a few Queens candidates I have some more detail because I got to meet them in person this month.

Queens: several. Justice of the Supreme Court - 11th Judicial District; Judge of the Civil Court - County - Queens; Judge of the Civil Court for the 2nd Municipal Court District and for the 4th Municipal Court District - Queens

Manhattan: Justice of the Supreme Court - 1st Judicial District

Staten Island: Justice of the Supreme Court - 13th Judicial District; Judge of the Civil Court - District - 1st Municipal Court District - Richmond

NO competitive judicial elections in the Bronx or in Brooklyn but note that Brooklyn Bar Association did publish candidate ratings you can refer to.

At the end: useful reference links, including to an explanation of what these seats and courts are, and to the Bar Association ratings (including what each one means when they say Qualified/Approved/Not Approved/etc.).

Queens

Justice of the Supreme Court - 11th Judicial District

# to be elected: 5

serve 14-year terms

Democratic:

• Ira R. Greenberg: currently on the Supreme Court of Queens County, "elected to the bench for a term beginning in 2019 and ending in 2028"; Scrutinize is not very informative. Greenberg has done a lot of local service in Community Board, Chamber of Commerce, etc. as his resume says. In 2018, a ratings panel called Greenberg "qualified" for Civil Court for the 11th District. His QCBA rating this year: Qualified. NYC Bar Association rating: Approved. [edited 27 Oct to add a rating I originally omitted] LGBT Bar Association rating: Approved. I got to hear him speak at a local Democratic Club and thought he sounded even-tempered, thoughtful, and so on. For example, he mentioned how he takes care to refer to "unrepresented" defendants rather than "pro se" which is an inscrutable Latin phrase to most of them. I suggest: enthusiastic yes.
• Gary F. Miret: QCBA rating: Well Qualified. NYC Bar Association rating: Approved. [edited 27 Oct to add a rating I originally omitted] LGBT Bar Association rating: Approved. Currently sitting; Scrutinize shows us he publishes more than most judges do. I got to hear him speak and he was a blowhard, dismissively criticizing Kids These Days And Their Phones, aggressively repeating that he wouldn't apologize for having had a Catholic education (no one was asking him to!) and praising the physical punishments he'd received as a child for giving him a work ethic. However, he did emphasize that, as a judge who sees mostly felony DWI cases, he tries to divert most of them into treatment programs instead of just being punitive. That, plus the Bar Association ratings, make the difference for me: I suggest: reluctant yes.
• Sandra Perez: QCBA rating: Qualified. NYC Bar Association rating: Approved. 2023 LGBT Bar Association rating: Highly Approved. This year's LGBT Bar Association rating: Approved. Currently sitting in Civil Court as an elected judge but Scrutinize has no data about her. A little local news coverage of her in the Queens Eagle. No major problems I notice. I suggest: yes.
• Soma S. Syed: During her failed City Council run a few years ago, her campaign attacked another candidate for supporting same-sex marriage and reproductive rights. "Syed later declined to say whether she supported same sex marriage when asked by the Chronicle." She's supported by Hiram Monserrate connections and was rated as "not approved" by NYC Bar in previous elections. She is already sitting on the bench, having won a 2021 election and is worse on affordable bail than many judges, per her Scrutinize profile. Asian American Bar Association bio. QCBA rating: Not Rated. [edited 27 Oct to add a rating I originally omitted] LGBT Bar Association rating: Failed to Appear. NYC Bar Association rating: Approved. However I suggest a loud NO because of the Monserrate support and the homophobic campaign.
• Frances Y. Wang: QCBA rating: Qualified. NYC Bar Association rating: Approved. [edited 27 Oct to add a rating I originally omitted] LGBT Bar Association rating: Highly Approved. Appointed nine years ago and has been sitting as an acting Supreme Court justice since then; Scrutinize record is unremarkable. Asian American Bar Association bio. I got to speak with her at an event this week and heard her speak; I think she had a hard time understanding my concerns about systemic unfairness in pretrial release decisions but I appreciated how she responded to my question about generative AI in law (doesn't use it, puts an emphasis on the authorship responsibility of those who sign their names to documents). I suggest: yes.

Republican:

• Richard Felix: QCBA Rating: Not Rated. NYC Bar Association rating: Not Approved. [edited 27 Oct to add a rating I originally omitted] LGBT Bar Association rating: Failed to Appear. I think he recently ran for a legislative seat elsewhere in the downstate area; not sure. I suggest: no.
• Gary Muraca [also listed as "Conservative"]: was "not rated" for an election in 2024 by QCBA, and QCBA Rating: Not Rated this year. NYC Bar Association rating: Not Approved. 2023 from the LGBT Bar Association: Failed to Appear, and then they marked him as "Failed to Appear" this year as a carryover from 2024. Some local Queens Eagle coverage. I suggest: no.

Judge of the Civil Court - County - Queens

# to be elected: 3

serve 10-year terms

All 3 Democrats are endorsed by Queens Democratic Party; Sheridan Chu has more other endorsements than do the other Dems here.

Democratic:

• Sheridan C. Chu: QCBA rating: Qualified. NYC Bar Association rating: Approved. LGBT Bar Association: failed to appear. Asian American Bar Association bio. I got to speak with him and liked my conversation with him; he seems thoughtful, realistic, aligned with my values, and curious and willing to learn. I suggest: enthusiastic yes.
• Indira D. Khan: QCBA rating: Qualified. NYC Bar Association rating: Approved. LGBT BA: Failed to appear. Heard her speak; she seems fine. I suggest: yes.
• Oma D. Phillips: QCBA rating: Qualified. NYC Bar Association rating: Approved. LGBT BA: Approved. Spoke with her and heard her speak; she seemed rattled by my questions and concerns, unused to thinking critically about the system she's in. Extremely experienced, having basically clerked for a judge for 15 years and written his opinions. Because of the Bar Association ratings, I suggest: yes.

Republican [all also listed as "Conservative"]:

• Thomas D. Barra: NYC Bar Association rating: Not Approved. QCBA: Not Rated. [edited 27 Oct to add a rating I originally omitted] LGBT BA: Failed to Appear. I suggest: no.
• William David Shanahan: (ran last year, when he was rated "qualified" per the QCBA and "Approved" by NYC Bar.) QCBA Rating this year: Not Rated. NYC Bar Association rating this year: Not Approved (I'm guessing he didn't fill out the questionnaire). 2023 LGBT Bar Association: Failed to Appear and then again this year. I suggest: no, but a weak no.
• Susan M. Silverman - QCBA rating: Not Approved (which means they evaluated her and 'If a candidate does not receive the minimum number of votes required for a rating of “Well Qualified” or “Qualified”, the candidate will be rated “Not Approved”.') NYC Bar Association rating: Approved. [edited 27 Oct to add a rating I originally omitted] LGBT BA Rating: Failed to Appear. I suggest a loud NO -- "Not Approved" from QCBA means a lot to me.

Judge of the Civil Court - District - 2nd Municipal Court District - Queens

# to be elected: 2

serve 10-year terms

Eve C. Guillergan has way more endorsements than does Wright-Fernandez; Wright-Fernandez lost a different primary race elsewhere in Queens in June and then decided to run in this race anyway. More in the Queens Eagle which has a few relevant recent articles.

Democratic:

• Eve Cho Guillergan: QCBA Rating: Qualified. NYC Bar Association rating: Approved. LGBT Bar Association: Approved. Asian American Bar Association bio. I've spoken with her twice and she seems aligned with my values and like a reasonable lawyer. No major problems I noticed. I suggest: yes.
• Thomas G. Wright-Fernandez: "not approved" by NYC Bar Association in 2025 primary election for a different Civil Court seat; QCBA Rating: Not Rated for this election. NYC Bar Association rating for the general election: Not Approved [but we can likely infer that he didn't answer the questionnaire]. LGBT Bar Association: Failed to Appear for the general election, and for the primary he originally ran in. Was supposed to come to the local Queens event I attended, but missed it. I feel like he has not actually worked enough to give us info about him and earn our votes, so I suggest: no.

Republican [also listed as "Conservative"]:

• Stephen C. Dachtera: QCBA Rating: Not Rated. NYC Bar Association rating: Not Approved [but we can likely infer that he didn't answer the questionnaire; last year he ran for a seat and the NYC Bar Association marked him as Approved]. [edited 27 Oct to add a rating I originally omitted] LGBT BA: Failed to Appear. I suggest: no.

Judge of the Civil Court - District - 4th Municipal Court District - Queens

# to be elected: 2

serve 10-year terms

Democratic:

• Gail A. Adams: QCBA Rating: Not Rated. NYC Bar Association rating: Not Approved. LGBT BA: Failed to Appear. Got the Queens County Democratic Party endorsement. Because of the complete lack of Bar Association approvals, I suggest: a weak no.
• Fania Jean: QCBA Rating: Not Rated. NYC Bar Association rating: Not Approved. Did NOT get the Queens County Democratic Party endorsement. LGBT BA: Failed to Appear. I suggest: no.

Republican [also listed as "Conservative"]:

• Mary-Ann E. Maloney: NOT APPROVED by QCBA for Civil Court in 2024 (and remember, "Not Approved" by QCBA means that they did evaluate her! They have a "not rated" label for people they didn't evaluate!) but in 2024, the NYC Bar Association marked her as "Approved." QCBA Rating this year: Not Rated. NYC Bar Association rating: Approved. LGBT BA: Failed to Appear. But, since in this election she has at least a single Approved rating (NYC Bar), and none of the other candidates do, I suggest: a weak yes.

Manhattan

Justice of the Supreme Court - 1st Judicial District

# to be elected: 4

serve 14-year terms

Many varied endorsements for this race.

Democratic:

• Suzanne Adams: NYC Bar Association rating: Approved. NYWBA rating: Approved. LGBT Bar Association: Highly Approved. Already on the bench, I think via appointment. So, already sitting; Scrutinize listing is okay. No obvious problems. I suggest: yes.
• James G. Clynes: NYC Bar Association rating: Approved. NYWBA rating: Approved. LGBT Bar Association: Highly Approved. Is sitting on the bench already; Scrutinize listing is reasonable. Has past experience in leadership on an NYC Community Board. No obvious problems. I suggest: yes.
• Deborah A. Kaplan: NYC Bar Association rating: Approved NYWBA rating: Approved. LGBT Bar Association: Highly Approved. Already sitting; Scrutinize listing doesn't tell us much. According to a 2005 New York Post story she was raised by a mob dad; that doesn't seem to have dogged her recently in terms of people in legal circles stopping her from continuing as a judge. Works on Alternative Dispute Resolution which is a good thing. I suggest: yes.
• Judy Kim: NYC Bar Association rating: Approved. NYWBA rating: Approved. LGBT Bar Association: Approved. Already sitting: Scrutinize record seems unremarkable. Asian American Bar Association bio. No major problems I can see. I suggest: yes.

Working Families Party:

(Both are law professors, activists, and policy experts.)

• Gowri Krishna (faculty at Fordham): NYC Bar Association rating: Not Approved [but a friend tells me that this is common, as WFP candidates for this judicial election did not fill out the questionnaire.]. NYWBA and LGBT BA: Did not appear. Thanks to Maya Chhabra for summarizing: Krishna is affiliated with WFP Manhattan, and her interests include legal services to low-wage immigrant workers and worker coops. No major problems I notice; seems good. I suggest: enthusiastic yes.
• Jared Trujillo, who is faculty at CUNY: NYC Bar Association rating: Not Approved [but, again, a friend tells me that this is common, as WFP candidates for this judicial election did not fill out the questionnaire.] NYWBA and LGBT BA: Did not appear. Thanks to Maya Chhabra for summarizing his experience: Trujillo worked with NYCLU and Legal Aid Society, and was a union leader at the latter (UAW), and is affiliated with the LGBT+ Bar Association. Trujillo supports decriminalization of sex work with DecrimNY. He's also written about book bans. No major problems I notice; seems good. I suggest: enthusiastic yes.

If you want to support WFP but you still want to vote for 4 people, I suggest voting for the 2 WFP candidates, plus Kaplan and Adams, who have significant experience with court administration. But that's a bit arbitrary and any of the 4 Democratic candidates seem fine to me.

Links to resources

The official list of all the candidates that I used (PDF).

NYC Bar Association's guide to local judicial elections. Explains what Supreme Court and Civil Court justices do, how long their terms are, etc. Short version. A key nuance: mostly, Supreme Court justices do criminal trials and Civil Court judges don't, but sometimes the court administration puts a Civil Court judge into a criminal court seat, so sometimes those folks will be making, for instance, bail and sentencing decisions.

June 2025 article by Marina Samuel in THE CITY: "How New Yorkers Choose Judges — and Why There Might Not Be Any on Your Ballot".

Nick Pinto in Hell Gate NYC: "NYC Judges Have a Tool to Help Them Rule on Pretrial Detention. Why Are They Ignoring It to Make Racially Skewed Decisions?" (paywalled). Links to a study from Data Collaborative for Justice.

One reason I asked about generative AI: the state courts' new AI policy (policy announcement).

Past coverage in City Limits.

Scrutinize, a hub for analyses of a sitting New York judge's past rulings, which I found via a City Limits piece.

The Bar Association ratings for the November 2025 election that I could find (generally published in the last couple days):

New York Women's Bar Assocation

NYC Bar Association

Brooklyn Bar Association

LGBT Bar of Greater NY

and thanks to the Queens County Bar Assocation for emailing me their ratings which they just finalized yesterday; I think local news outlets haven't published them yet so I may be first??* (see comment for details)

Should we be doing judicial elections this way? Maybe not! This 2020? report from the New York State Bar Association’s Task Force on the Evaluation of Candidates for Election to Judicial Office & this NYC Bar report from 2006 have more detailed thoughts on what's bad about the current system and what we should perhaps do instead!

Thanks to Maya Chhabra for helping research the Manhattan WFP candidates!

Please feel free to leave links to other good resources in the comments - or your own thoughts, including disagreement, as long as you're being productive and not just insulting or dismissive. And feel free to share this around, publicly or privately; I did this because it's so often hard to research the judge candidates, and I want this to be useful to others!