Cross-Party Deals Cloud Suffolk Judicial Races

The South Shore Press will not make endorsements in this year’s Suffolk County judicial races, where cross-endorsement deals between Republican, Democratic and Conservative Party leaders have left voters with limited choices and raised questions about the integrity of the electoral process.

The November 3 ballot includes eight State Supreme Court seats in the 10th Judicial District, covering Nassau and Suffolk counties, with 14 candidates competing. Several nominees appear on multiple party lines, including Richard Ambro, Leonard Steinman and Joy Watson. Steinman and Watson carry Democratic, Republican and Conservative endorsements.

Other judicial contests offer substantially less competition.

Four candidates are running for four Suffolk County Court judgeships: Daniel Driscoll, Anthony Senft Jr., Anna Acquafredda and James Chalifoux, all appearing on the Republican and Conservative lines.

Similarly, Family Court candidates Frank Tantone, William Garbarino and Evan Tanenbaum face no listed opponents for three available seats. Several District Court candidates also carry endorsements from competing political parties.

The arrangement involving Brookhaven Town Democratic Chairman Anthony Portesy illustrates the political maneuvering behind judicial nominations. Originally running against incumbent County Clerk Vincent Puleo, Portesy abandoned that campaign after accepting the Conservative Party nomination for State Supreme Court justice. The switch left Puleo without a ballot-listed opponent.

Supporters of judicial cross-endorsements argue that bipartisan agreements help select qualified judges while limiting partisan campaigning. Critics contend that negotiated slates reduce competition and leave voters with little meaningful choice.

The South Shore Press recognizes the importance of an independent judiciary but believes endorsements should follow meaningful electoral competition, not political arrangements negotiated behind closed doors.