Will Become Chief Judge if Elected
By Dan Murphy
Yonkers City Court Tom Daly may have narrowly lost the democratic primary in June, but is continuing his campaign to win re-election to the City bench that he has called home for the past 20 years and if victorious, will become Chief Judge in Yonkers.
Daly, who is running on the Republican and Conservative Party lines on November 3, has received an outpouring of support from Democrats who want him to continue his service and keep the continuity in the City Court.
Former Yonkers City Council President Chuck Lesnick, a staunch supporter of democratic candidates in Yonkers and across the state and country, wrote his support for Judge Daly. “For close to fifty years Yonkers City Court judges who have served with distinction for their full ten year term have been cross endorsed by the Democratic and Republican parties, since judicial ethics prohibit them from taking an active role in party politics except during the year in which they run. This year the Democratic, Republican, Conservative and Working Families Parties all endorsed Judge Daly who might not have had to campaign except for circumstances. Because of vacancies being filled and the Judicial cycle there were two other open seats this year and four other Democrats seeking them.
“Due to ballot placement and other intra-Party competitions Tom Daly wound up a few votes shy of the third Democratic ballot position and his WFP petitions were challenged since they did not gather enough valid signatures before they were shut down early due to Covid. Although Tom is a lifelong Democrat he will only appear on the Republican and Conservative lines. Please join me in voting for him there (you can still vote for one or two of your favorite Democrats too) and if you can support and/or attend this socially distant fundraiser on Tuesday night- I would be grateful. It is unfortunate that local politics has muddled Judge Daly’s cross endorsement but Yonkers Voters are intelligent to vote for the most qualified Judge who would be Chief Justice next year if he is able to continue a Judge,” wrote Lesnick.
Women for Daly, and Democrats for Daly are two other groups that have formed to support the Judge. Democrats for Daly, let my Mary Hoar, and Women for Daly led by Alesandra Restiano includes Karen Ramos, Marcia Klein and Dr. Beth Schoor-Lesnick, Wanda London, Donna Davis and Olasubomi Macauley.
October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. “Every 9 seconds, a woman in the U.S. is beaten or assaulted by a current or ex-significant other. 1 in 4 men are victims of some form of physical violence by an intimate partner. My work as the head of the Integrated Domestic Violence Part of Yonkers City Court is some of the most important work anyone can do,” said Judge Daly, who has presided over the Domestic Violence Party in Yonkers since its inception 15 years ago.
Daly recently received two letters from former victims of domestic violence who received the legal support and help they neeed from Judge Daly.
“I truly understand the critical importance of electing judges with the legal knowledge, ethics, integrity and compassion that are needed to sit on the bench. Especially in the domestic violence part. I have advocated and helped navigate for women and a few men in the Yonkers court so that theyt could protect themselves and their children.
“I did this with the confidence that Judge Daly was there. His proven abilities as a judge left me knowing these families were in the best hands possible to receive the protections they needed to move forward and build productive and safe lives. When it pertains to domestic violence experience matters and lives are at sake,” wrote a Daly supporter.
Another letter states, “I wanted to show my appreciation to you for being a fair judge. You were the only judge I ever saw that paid attention to all of the facts. My son is safe and happy in my custody. He is also smart and thriving well. He just started school in Pre-K and loves it. Once again thank you for paying attention.”
Voters in Yonkers will elect three City Court Judges on November 3. The three democratic nominees for City Court are: Verris Shako, Dan Romano and Karen Best.
On Election Day November 3, voters will have to look for Judge Daly’s name on the republican line and vote for him there. As one voter wrote in an email to Yonkers Rising, “the people of Yonkers need to take politics out of their elections for Judge.”
“Remember that this year there will be at least two new judges elected with no experience. Let us elect a judge to the City Court who has the experience and who has demonstrated that he has the demeanor to hear every case in an impartial and honest way. That person is Tom Daly. I’m a democrat all my life but I will be voting for Daly on November 3,” writes Thomas Krozner.
