L-R-Assemblyman Nader Sayegh, Judge Charlie Wood, Judge Fran Connolly, Barry McGoey, Yonkers Firefighters Local 628
Attempts by WCLA and Progressives to Block His Nomination Failed
By Dan Murphy
State Supreme Court Judge Charlie Wood received the endorsement of the Democratic parties Judicial convention for the 9th Judicial district, which includes Westchester, Rockland, Putnam, Dutchess and Orange Counties, for his reelection after their judicial convention held this month.
“It is with great honor and humility that Justice Charles Wood accepts the Democratic and Conservative Parties Nominations for NYS Supreme Court Justice in the 9th Judicial District, alongside Justice Francesca Connolly, Judge Rolf Thorsen and Judge Larry Schwartz,” wrote Wood’s campaign in an email blast to supporters on Aug. 18.
For the past six months, Judge Wood endured an attempt to remove him from the democratic line for his reelection. Those attempts came from the Political Action Committee for the Westchester Coaltion for Legal Abortion, WCLA-PAC.
WCLA-PAC falsely accused Judge Wood of not being pro-choice, resulting in Judge Wood clarifying his position in a story in our newspapers and here at Yonkerstimes.com https://yonkerstimes.com/political-agendas-ethics-and-judicial-races-in-westchester/
Several Westchester democrats pushed back on the attacks against Judge Wood. Robi Schlaff, former Vice-Chair of the Westchester Democratic Party’s Judicial Screening Committee said, “I am disheartened and angered by the attacks on Judge Charley Wood by WCLA Choice Matters. The reality is that Judge Wood is pro-choice and as Chair of the 9th Judicial District Gender Fairness Committee, brought the leading international abortion rights lawyer to present to our committee. He is the number one judge on fairness and gender equity in the court system. I urge women voting in the 9th judicial district to consider his excellent record on women’s issues.”
Yonkers Democratic Chair Tom Meier said, “Judge Wood has always been pro-choice. He has been labeled to the contrary by other groups in an effort to discredit him. They want a preferred candidate that they have in mind. But we don’t blindly endorse incumbents. Judge Wood has been screened by the county democratic judicial committee and was found well qualified. Judge Wood has served the people honorably on the court for the 14 years and will do so for the next 14 years.”
A group of Progressive Westchester Democrats, Citizens for a Democratic Judiciary, circulated a petition against Judge Wood receiving the democratic party line, and Westchester Indivisible also opposed his reelection.
But in the end, the vast majority of Westchester democratic leaders, including Westchester Democratic Chair Suzanne Berger, backed Wood’s nomination, based on his 14 years of experience as a State Supreme Court Judge, and the overwhelming support he received from the legal community made his nomination at the convention not in doubt.
“My two takeaways from this whole fight are that Judge Wood is well deserving of the democratic party’s nomination for reelection. And once you become a State Supreme Court Judge and they are qualified and respected as Judge Wood is, they are tought to beat,” said one Yonkers democrat.
“I would also challenge the WCLA PAC and Progressive Democrats of Westchester and Indivisible Westchester for their failed effort to remove Judge Wood. I think this whole escapade backfired in the end.”
Judge Wood, who also has the Conservative Party line, still has to win election in November against a slate of Republican candidates. We will highlight all of the candidates for State Supreme Court next month.
