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Syracuse, N.Y. — Eight people are running for four open judge seats for the top trial court in Central and Northern New York. Four Republican Party and four Democratic Party candidates are vying to become State Supreme Court Justices for the state’s 5th Judicial District, which spans Onondaga, Oswego, Oneida, Herkimer, Jefferson and Lewis counties. The state Supreme Court is unique as it hears a wide variety of cases. The justices can hear any case that might have been taken to trial: most are civil cases, some are criminal cases. Chief Administrative Judge Deborah H. Karalunas will decide which county the justices will serve in. The term is 14 years. The annual salary in 2024 was $232,600. Judges older than 70 must be assessed for mental fitness with a hard retirement cap at 76 years old. Syracuse.com | The Post Standard spoke to seven of the eight candidates. One candidate did not respond to requests for comment. All eight candidates have extensive legal experience. The seven who were interviewed all told Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard they would focus on making sure everyone who comes through the court would feel heard, even if the case does not go their way. Five have some prior judicial experience. One is running for reelection. The Democratic candidates are: Elizabeth Snyder Fortino, of New Hartford. Candace L.L. Randall, of Pinckney. John W. Dillon, of New Hartford. Gerard J. Snyder, of Van Hornesville. The Republican candidates are: James McClusky, of Watertown. Lydia Young, of Champion. Gregory Amoroso, of Rome. Patrick Kilmartin, of the town of Onondaga. Meet the Candidates Gregory Amoroso, 58, who is running on the Republican and Conservative ballot lines, has served as a city court judge in Rome for the past 12 years. Before he took the bench, he practiced law for 20 years and primarily worked cases in state Supreme Court. As a city court judge, Amoroso presided over a wide array of criminal and civil cases. For the past 10 years, he has handled cases in Oneida County drug treatment court. He said this experience showed him the court can help solve problems rather than just officiate disputes. Amoroso said he chose to run because holding this position has always been a goal of his. When a seat opened up in his county, the timing felt right, he said. He said that his judicial experience has helped him develop the necessary demeanor to ensure everyone feels heard and to remain impartial. Elizabeth Snyder Fortino, 50, who is running on the Democratic and Working Families ballot lines, has practiced law for 24 years. For the past 22 years, she has run an agency in the state court system called Mental Hygiene Legal Service. The agency offers legal aid to people with mental illness and developmental disabilities. She has offices across the state and manages 70 staff attorneys. This year, she was appointed to the New York State Judicial Task Force on Mental Illness. She said she can be a “huge asset” to the court with her experience with mental health issues in the court system. Many cases in the state Supreme Court are impacted by mental health, she said. She said her father inspired her to run for the state Supreme Court seat. She comes from a family of attorneys and she promised her father she would be a judge someday. Fortino said she has received a lot of support for her campaign. She was deemed “highly qualified” after a screening by the Onondaga County Bar Association. She has also received endorsements from Syracuse mayoral candidate Sharron Owens, Common Council President Helen Hudson, U.S. Representative John Mannion and several unions, she said. Patrick Kilmartin, 56, who is running on the Republican and Conservative ballot lines, has served as an Onondaga town court judge for the past eight years. He was a prosecutor in Onondaga County for five years before opening a private practice. He worked in private practice for 25 years, handling a wide variety of cases. While running his practice, he also served as an Onondaga County legislator for 10 years, he said. Kilmartin said he has cultivated the right temperament to serve as a Supreme Court justice. He said that as tempers rise in society, they spill over into the courtroom and a judge has to manage those emotions. Kilmartin said he has diverse legal experience that will be ideal for the varying types of cases that justices are responsible for. He said that beyond the courtroom, he has cultivated patience and mediation skills as the father of six children. James McClusky, 62, who is running on the Republican and Conservative ballot lines, is the only candidate who has held the position of State Supreme Court Justice. He was first elected in 2011 and is up for reelection. He said he decided to run again because he loves what he does. He said he believed he makes a difference in his role and shows all people in his courtroom the respect they deserve. He said that he is very straightforward with his positions, so everyone knows where he stands, but he will ensure everyone feels their arguments were heard. Before he became a justice, he worked in private practice with his father and twin brother. He handled civil and criminal cases as an attorney. He served as a town court judge in Watertown for nine years. He said that as a Supreme Court justice, one of the most crucial roles is continuing legal education. He makes sure he is up to date on the law and knows all the areas of law related to the Supreme Court. He has become the primary judge in the Fifth Judicial District for asbestos cases. He has built an expertise in that niche despite having no prior knowledge in the area. Candace L.L. Randall, 38, who is running on the Democratic and Working Families ballot lines, currently serves as a town court judge in Harrisburg, Montague and Pickney in Lewis County. She has a private practice. Randall said while working in a small community, she has handled all kinds of cases. She primarily handles civil cases so there is no overlap with her work as a town court judge. Randall said that she struggled with the decision to run for state Supreme Court because she is one of the few attorneys based in Lewis County. She said that she ultimately decided she could do more for the community by representing them in the state’s highest trial court. Randall said that if elected, she would be a diligent judge and would treat every case with the same attention. As an attorney, one of her biggest frustrations is when it is clear a judge has not read any of the filing in a case, she said. She said the most important thing is for people to feel like the case was considered fairly. She acknowledged that for many people who come before the state Supreme Court, it is a stressful experience. She said that she will treat all litigants with the respect she would want her own family to be treated with. She said she has received endorsements from people of both parties, unions and the Onondaga County Veterans party. She said the endorsement from the veteran’s group meant a lot as the daughter of a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army. Gerard J. Snyder, 69, who is running on the Democratic and Working Families ballot lines, has been practicing law for over 40 years in Dolgeville. His firm shifted from general practice to focus on civil cases in 1990. He primarily works on property law and other “everyday issues” people face, he said. He was inspired to run for the Supreme Court seat by his niece, Elizabeth Snyder Fortino, who is also a candidate this year. He said he feels he would be a good fit for the court because of his skills in mediation and helping to avoid cases going to trial by striking compromises. He said he also prioritizes treating people with empathy and respect in his law practice. Snyder, like Randall, is from a rural community and he has stayed in private practice for so long because there are so few attorneys in the area. He chose to run to give Herkimer County a local voice on the bench. Snyder is the oldest candidate in the race. In one year, he would have to begin assessments to ensure he is fit to remain on the bench. He would be required to retire at 76. He would be able to complete a maximum of half of the term. Lydia Young, 41, who is running on the Republican and Conservative ballot lines, has served as a town judge in Champion in Jefferson County for seven years. She also has a private practice that focuses on matrimonial law, which is primarily litigated in the state Supreme Court. Young said she has always aspired to be a judge in the state’s highest trial court. She said she enjoys looking at cases from both sides and believes she can bring a new perspective to the court. She said the most important roles of a Supreme Court justice are making sure everyone feels heard and ensuring cases are ruled on in a timely manner. Like other candidates, Young said it is crucial for Supreme Court justices to be students of the law. They must stay up to date on recent decisions and have a passion for research. Young said she is excited to have the opportunity to dive into researching the law again. John W. Dillon, 60, who is running on the Democratic and Working Families ballot lines, has been practicing law for nearly 30 years. Dillon previously ran for state Supreme Court in 2022. He has also served as an attorney on the Corporation Council in Utica. Dillon did not respond to requests for an interview. In 2022, Dillon wrote a letter to Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard about his candidacy that year. Like the other candidates, Dillon wrote that a judge’s even temperament is one of the most crucial skills of a justice. “I tend to be very frank with my clients, while also being compassionate and respectful,” Dillon wrote. In 2022, he said he would “rigorously defend” facts and the rule of law in order to preserve a just society.
