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nominations
Rick Brand
Rick Brand is a longtime Newsday reporter who writes about politics and government on Long
Island.
While selection of judicial candidates normally draws little interest beyond a judge's own family,
backroom wrangling over the state Supreme Court nominations is heating up and likely will become
intense by the mid-September nominating conventions.
Fueling backroom intrigue are the surprise departures of the state's No. 2 judge, A. Gail Prudenti,
daughter of the late former Suffolk GOP chairman Anthony Prudenti, and appellate Judge Peter
Skelos, brother of embattled former State Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos. The vacancies make
political cross-endorsements more likely.
"It's easier to make a deal when there's more to give," said Michael Dawidziak, a veteran political
consultant who often works for Republicans. "That way everyone can walk away happy."
ColumnNY's chief administrative judge steps down after 23 yearsStorySen. Skelos' brother retires as
judge
What makes state Supreme Court races unusual is that, unlike district, family and county courts
where candidates are free to run in any party's primary, state Supreme Court nominations are solely
the bastion of party leaders because state law permits no primaries.
In Suffolk, those nominations also could bring a sea change at the top of the Republican Party, given
speculation that county chairman John Jay LaValle and Islip Republican leader Frank Tantone may
be in line to run for judicial posts.
If the leaders win election, it would make Brookhaven GOP chairman Jesse Garcia the top contender
to replace LaValle as county chairman and create a scramble for Islip GOP chair.
Incumbent GOP Judge Emily Pines also is expected to be renominated.