Party Nod Puts Bayside Councilman Vallone On Path To Judgeship

BAYSIDE, QUEENS — City Council Member Paul Vallone could head to the bench after his term representing Bayside ends this year.

During a closed-to-press Zoom meeting Tuesday morning, the Queens County Democratic Party voted to endorse Vallone for a seat as a judge in the 3rd Civil Court District.

"He’s earned, I think, the right and the opportunity to be our candidate,” U.S. Rep. Gregory Meeks, the party chair, said of Vallone during the endorsement meeting.

The endorsement sets Vallone on a likely path to victory in this year's election for the judicial seat: Judicial candidates for civil court are typically selected by party insiders and run opposed.

Vallone worked as a managing partner at his family's law firm, Vallone & Vallone, before he was elected to the New York City Council.

In 2012, he was ranked as "highly qualified" for a civil court judgeship, although the Independent Judicial Election Qualification Commissions' ratings only hold for three years.

The party also voted to endorse Michael Goldman and Andrea Ogle for county-wide civil court seats and Cassandra Johnson for 4th Civil Court District.