Three NY Supreme Court Judge Seats are Up for Grabs in November Election

The race is on. Not for Mayor. Or Comptroller. Or City Council. But to fill the three open seats on NY County’s Supreme come November. Two of the three judges are up for certification at age 70 and one judge is retiring. And like any good race, there are more than three contenders for the seats. Top contenders to date, in alphabetical order, are Judges Suzanne Adams, Shahabuddeen “Shah” Ally, Jim Clynes, and Judy Kim. All were elected to Civil Court posts originally and are currently Acting Supreme Court Justices. Kim was elected in 2016, Adams and Clynes in 2017, Ally in 2018. At press time, word is that there are, or may be, others vying for one of the three seats, including Civil Court Judges Ashlee Crawford, elected in 2019; Hasa Kingo, elected in 2021; Chris Chin, elected in 2021.

Judge Ally isn’t wasting time. He held a meet-and-greet for the Judicial and Alternate Delegates who will be deciding at the Manhattan Democrat Convention this summer who will be the nominees on the ballot in November. Also invited were district leaders. Ally went all out at the newly opened Saar, an Indian bistro in the heart of the Theater District, where Michelin chef Hemant Mathur prepared a Michelin-star array of dishes—think Lamb Kebab. Tandoori Grilled Salmon. Crispy Okra Salad. And more. I’m still savoring the house white wine and Masala Chai tea. But back to Judge Ally, who thanked everyone who came to the meet-and-greet, and said, “Your presence is more than support—it’s a powerful statement of belief in justice, progress, and my historic candidacy for New York State Supreme Court. Together we are shaping history and building a future rooted in fairness and representation.”

By way of background, Ally currently serves as the Administrative Judge of New York City Civil Court, making him the first South Asian Supervising Judge, or any judge in an administrative capacity, in NYS history. He has also led the Asian American Judges Association of New York as its president and has served as co-chair of the New York State Permanent Commission on Access to Justice, a statewide initiative committed to expanding access to civil legal services and improving justice accessibility. Prior to serving on the court, Ally was a staff attorney with the NYC Administration for Children’s Services and served as an assistant corporation counsel with the city’s Law Department. In private practice for over a decade, he specialized in family and criminal law. As a public defender, he provided legal representation to indigent clients in Family, Criminal, and Supreme courts.

Prior to the bench, Ally was chair of Manhattan Community Board 12, representing Washington Heights and Inwood. He remains involved in civic service as a board member of the Fort Tryon Park Trust and chairs the Dog Run Committee, which I’m sure Mister Bear, his beloved pooch, appreciates.

All of that to say, the race is on to the Judicial Convention.