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Endorsements
Albany
City Court Judge Democratic Primary
This
year’s primary to choose three Albany City Court judges certainly
will go down in the history books. Aside from the typical
mudslinging, this will be the first time since 1943 that there
will be a Democratic primary for City Court judge. Last March,
when Tom Keefe announced that he would be running for one
of the three seats up for election this year, he ruffled the
feathers of Albany Mayor Jerry Jennings because the mayor
had not yet announced his own third candidate to run with
his two sitting appointees, Cheryl Coleman and William Carter.
Jennings said that he would not support Keefe and then picked
city corporation counsel Gary Stiglmeier as his third choice,
creating a four-way race for the three positions. Jennings
and his supporters were persistent in their attempt to secure
their preferred outcome in the primary by pushing a bill in
the state Legislature that would have altered the way judges
are elected in Albany. The bill, however, was shot down. Had
it been passed, it would have required candidates for City
Court judge to specify which seat they are vying for rather
than the current procedure, in which candidates running for
a position do not run for a specific vacant seat; rather,
all contenders enter into a general election in which those
who receive the most votes win.
We don’t agree with the mayor’s attempt to change the election
laws, nor do we agree with his decision not to support Keefe.
We heartily endorse Keefe based on his 28-year commitment
to social justice and progressive politics. Since he first
moved to Albany in 1974, Keefe has shown his dedication to
the community. In 1988, he founded the local chapter of Citizen
Action. In 1995, he founded the Robert F. Kennedy Democratic
Club, where he was co-chair from its beginning until the announcement
of his candidacy for City Court judge in March. He showed
his commitment to city schools by becoming a member of Citizens
of Albany for Reform of Education, an organization that worked
to make the school district independent of the Democratic
party in Albany. He was actively involved in the creation
of the Albany Citizens’ Police Review Board and fought for
a gay-rights ordinance, which passed in 1993. Finally, he
is the only judge running independently from the local political
power structure. The other three candidates are party-backed.
Keefe’s 18 years as a civil and criminal lawyer have given
him a wide variety of experience in the local courts. He prides
himself on representing “average people” and has said that
he has never represented big corporations, governmental agencies
or even wealthy clients. We are confident that Keefe would
make a fair and effective judge, and we endorse him in Tuesday’s
primary.
Of the three remaining candidates, we endorse Judge William
Carter. Carter, an Albany native, was appointed in December
by Albany Mayor Jerry Jennings to fill the vacant spot in
city court. Previously, he worked as an assistant to Paul
Clyne, Albany County District Attorney. He is the first African-American
to be appointed to judgeship in the Capital Region, and he
had demonstrated a commitment to the innovative legal-remedy
philosophy known as restorative justice. Based on the reputation
he has established in the short time he has served, we endorse
Carter to retain his seat as City Court judge.
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