Queens voters cast ballots for civil court judge
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Cassandra Johnson has won the democratic nomination in the 4th District, and the race for the spot on the Civil Court ballot is down to a three point lead. Photo courtesy of Johnson
By Rachel Vick
Queens is one step closer to electing new judges to the bench as election night results for the borough’s two Civil Court primaries roll in.
Though absentee ballots have yet to be counted, initial results show Cassandra Johnson and Soma Syed leading their respective races, which will determine the final ballots for the general election in the fall.
The margin between Syed and county party-endorsed candidate Michael Goldman is small, with less than a three point difference between them.
“Our 'people-powered', grassroots campaign against the Queens County Machine was a success,” Syed said in a statement.
“I want to send my sincerest appreciation to the voters of Queens and the groups that supported our campaign,” she added. “We look toward the elections in November, where the true winners will be the people of Queens.”
With 95 percent of scanners reported, 74,487 votes have been counted for the current president of the Queens County Women’s Bar Association and 70,714 for Goldman.
Johnson — who earned 80 percent of the day’s votes — has a significant 60 point lead over Devian Daniels in the Democratic District 4th Municipal Court District primary.
Daniels conceded early Wednesday morning, thanking her team and wishing her opponent well in the pursuit to represent the district.
“Thank you to the brave 9,038 voters in district 4 who believed in my vision for justice,” Daniels wrote. “I am grateful for every voter who spoke to me and joined me on this journey. I am heartened by my community and all the inspiration, sacrifice and kindness they demonstrate each and every day.”
In the November general election, Johnson will face Daniel Kogan, and if Syed’s lead holds she will be on the ballot against Republican William Shanahan.
Republicans candidates in the 3rd District Kathy Wu Parrino and Joseph Kasper were on the ballot, but due to a late decision regarding the legitimacy of their petitions, votes cast will not count for either. Kasper, who was also listed as the Conservative party’s candidate, will be on the ballot against Paul Vallone, who didn’t have a primary challenge, come the general election.
Over 66,200 absentee ballots were requested by Queens voters, which the Board of Elections expects to have counted by July 6. Final tallies and certified results are expected to be released a week later on July 12.
