Gov. Kathy Hochul’s selection of Justice Hector LaSalle to become the state’s chief judge sparked a dispute within the Democratic party on Wednesday, dividing a judicial panel.
ALBANY, N.Y. — Wednesday marked a historic rejection of the beleaguered nomination of New York Governor Kathy Hochul to become the state’s chief judge, highlighting the significant divisions among Democrats regarding the future of the state’s judicial system.
The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 10-9 against the nomination of Justice Hector D. LaSalle, whose candidature was vehemently challenged by progressives who viewed him as too conservative, following a contentious hearing lasting several hours.
The committee’s vote, the first time New York legislators have voted against a governor’s pick for chief judge, revealed how susceptible Hochul, a Democrat from the Buffalo area, may be to a challenge from within her own party. All ten senators who voted against the judge were Democrats; two Democrats voted for Justice LaSalle, and one Democrat and all six Republicans on the committee voted “without recommendation.”
The rejection may not always signal the conclusion of the LaSalle affair. The governor has not ruled out pursuing legal action to demand a vote on the nomination of Justice LaSalle on the full Senate floor, creating the possibility of a constitutional showdown.
Normally a noncontroversial issue, the fight over the top judge nominee has become the most significant political obstacle of Ms. Hochul’s first full term after being elected in November. The dispute has pitted her against more radical Democrats in the State Senate, putting her relationship with legislators to the test as she prepares to implement her freshly released policy programme in Albany.
Justice LaSalle, who aspired to become the first Latino chief justice, faced an uphill battle from the start. His nomination in December was immediately challenged by unions, reproductive rights groups, and community organisations, who cited incidents that, according to them, demonstrated his anti-union and anti-abortion stances.
Numerous Democrats in the State Senate had already voiced their opposition to his nomination, with many saying that his elevation would prolong the court’s conservative lean.
In his first public remarks since becoming a political flashpoint, Justice LaSalle on Wednesday vowed to “put the record straight” over what he deemed to be inaccurate characterizations of his judicial career.
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“I only ask that this body look at my complete record, not just the record that certain advocates have chosen to look at,” said Justice LaSalle in an unusually crowded congressional hearing room, saying that some of his cases had been “mischaracterized in an effort to obstruct my candidature.”
