MANHATTAN COUNTY

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Hon. Shahabuddeen Ally
Hon. Christopher Chin
Hon. Ashlee Crawford
Hon. Hasa Kingo
Hon. Ilana Marcus
Hon. Kate Waterman-Marshall
Hon. Eric Schumacher
Hon. John Wang

Added July 23, 2026:

Hon. Ilona Coleman
Hon. L Austin D’Souza
Hon. Keisha Espinal
Hon. Jeanine Johnson
Hon. Andrea Krugman
Hon. Nicholas W. Moyne
Hon, Aija Tingling
Hon. Richard A. Tsai
Hon. Jeffrey S. Zellan
Hon. Shlomo S. Hagler (incumbent)
Hon. Manuel J. Mendez (incumbent)
Hon. Saliann Scarpulla (incumbent)

(More at ManhattanDemocrats.org)

Rita Mella (incumbent)

(More at ManhattanDemocrats.org)

Incumbents:
Josh Hanshaft (incumbent)
Emily Morales-Minerva (incumbent)
Aija Tingling (incumbent)

Candidates for Vacant Seats
Steven Benathen
Jason Canales
Karen Cortes
Keshia Espinal
Eric Flores
Vlad Frants
Faith Friedman Bondy

(More at ManhattanDemocrats.org)

These Winter/Spring events set the ground work for later in the year.

Designating Petitions: Submit signatures for candidates in early April.

Primary Campaign Season: Runs until the end of June.

Get Out The Vote: The heaviest lift is in the lead up to primary day.

These events are scheduled during the Summer.

Democratic Primary: End of June (early voting 1 week prior).

Summer Rooftop Party: Second or third week in July.

Judicial Candidate Campaign Season: Officially begins after the June Primary.

These events span from Summer to Fall.

Pre- County Committee Vacancy Discussion: Prior to a County Committee Vacancy meeting the club will meet to discuss the recommendations by our club leadership, and the members of the Legal Affairs & Judicial Committee.

» County Committee Vacancy Meeting*: First or second week of July, commonly there is are judicial vacancies known to Manhattan Dems and announced as early as possible in the year, additional judicial vacancies can come to light after the Primary & our Governor will announce any new judicial seats she is adding to our districts after the Primary as well. (Heads-up these meetings can be called at anytime there is a vacancy to fill for any elected official in your district, not just judicial.)

Judicial Candidate Campaign Season: Runs until the Judicial Convention.

Pre- Judicial Convention Discussion: Prior to the Judicial Convention the club will meet to discuss the recommendations by our club leadership, and the members of the Legal Affairs & Judicial Committee. All members will weigh in on who we are supporting as a Supreme Court Candidate.

» Judicial Convention*: Early/Mid August.

These events span from Fall to Winter.

» County Committee Organizing Meeting*: Only in odd years, during the last week of September or first week of October.

Get Out The Vote: The heaviest lift is in the lead up to election day.

General Election: The first Tuesday of November (early voting 1 week prior).

Judicial Induction Ceremonies: Judges who have been officially elected in the primary begin to send invitations to community members & clubs to witness their induction ceremony & celebrate their induction afterward. These events can run through early Spring of the following year.

UCD Holiday Party: The first or second week of December.

*The three events listed above with an asterisk* are the most important of the year for voting County Committee Member, JDs &  Alt JDs.

* This is when we complete the year's work for our coalition candidates.

*There are no proxy votes for County Committee or Alternate Judicial Delegates!

Our Assembly Districts are divided into smaller sections called Election or Electoral Districts, or for short "ED"s.

Each Electoral District can be represented by 2-4 County Committee members, if elected. If elected, these County Committee members will represent you in our County. We are in New York County (Manhattan Island plus the annexed Marble Hill neighborhood). If you do not elect County Committee members, you will not have a voice in how our party operates in our county.

Please be sure to vote for ALL our County Committee candidates on your ballot. You can find out which ED you live in by "checking your poll site" and scrolling down the page of results where you can also find your Assembly District number, City Council number, etc...

District Leaders (two per Assembly District, of any two different genders) lead the County Committee members in their district.

They recruit members for and organize for county committee and the judicial delegation. They have a formal voice in filling vacancies, including some judicial vacancies and party leadership positions. They serve as a liaison to the county leader, county executive committee, community boards (and similar) and meet with their city council person on behalf of the community members.

There is no salary, no legislative power, no city agency oversight... but they are essential in calling out city officials who are not in-step with the community members of their district. It is the duty of a District Leader to organize the community when needed to protest when elected officials are making choices that do not benefit the district.

The 72nd AD has not had active District Leaders in the past 8 years. This breakdown in the connective tissue of "the people" communicating with "the power" is reflected in the rezoning that was protested & fought in court by community members but was overturned by our city officials.

The 72nd AD must elect District Leaders who are active in the community. The District Leaders work as a team and both must be actively engaged with their community members.

72A Hon. Argentina Cruz (elected in 2025)
Washington Heights-Inwood Democratic Club

72A Hon. Adriano Espaillat
Northern Manhattan Democrats For Change

72B Hon. Mariel De La Cruz
Northern Manhattan Democrats For Change

72B Hon. Manny De Los Santos
Northern Manhattan Democrats For Change

There have been zero District meetings called in the past  9 years, since these District Leaders have been in place.

Each Assembly District can also be represented by Judicial Delegates & Alternate Judicial Delegates, if elected. If you do not elect Judicial Delegates you will not have a voice in which judges appear on the ballot.

The changes you hope for in our judicial system are not possible unless your district is represented by delegates who participate fully in the County's process to elect judges. The UCD candidates are active participants in our County's process. Please be sure to vote for ALL our Judicial & Alternate Judicial Delegate  candidates on your ballot.

It is important to remember to vote for ALL local candidates endorsed by:

Uptown Community Democrats, Nobles Crawford, Senator Robert Jackson & Community Leader Johanna Garcia.

These positions must be filled for Northern Manhattan to have a voice in electing judges & creating the change we want in the Democratic Party, our community and our neighborhood. The members of our club have worked hard to vet these local candidates, and inform who our State Senator & State Committee Members endorse.

If elected, these candidates will inform you of upcoming elections & answer questions you have about candidates, help you find poll sites, and assist with absentee ballot concerns. These candidates will also represent you in the Democratic County Committee (Manhattan Dems), and invite you into the judicial nominating process. The changes you want to see in the Democratic Party and in our court system can materialize if you voice these concerns and ideas with your representatives... if they are elected.

Local party positions are only on the ballot during the primary, in June.

LOCAL POSITIONS ON THE BALLOT:

(1) District Leader (odd years)

(2) County Committee (odd years)

(3) Judicial Delegate (every year)

(4) Alternate Judicial Delegate (every year)

We need to fill ALL the open positions to ensure Northern Manhattan has proper representation in our county. Please vote for the entire slate endorsed by UCD.

The more our community members vote in local elections & the previous Governor's race  the more representation we earn for Northern Manhattan. The number of candidates we can run is published as "The Party Call" on the Manhattan Dems website ahead of petitioning. Click here to view an example of the Party Call for Judicial Delegates & Alternate Judicial Delegates from February 7th, published on February 10th of 2025.

The best way to understand the roles and responsibilities of County Committee & Judicial Delegation Members is to read the Party Rules for the New York County Democratic Committee. You can access them on the Manhattan Dems website, click here.

COUNTY COMMITTEE

County Committee Members must attend two specific kinds of meetings. Their Assembly District's local County Committee Meeting, held within 30 days after each election - referred to as the Divisional Assembly District Committee Organizing Meeting. The second kind of meeting is the county-wide County Committee Organizing Meeting, usually scheduled for the first week of October.

The first Divisional meeting is held after the June Primary. During this first meeting a Chairperson, Secretary and 'such other officers as the Committee may determine' will be elected. When the quorum consisting of 20% of the District's membership is reached the Committee may choose to fill vacancies in the County Committee seats. (Often these meetings directly following a Primary will include a vote on any vacancies that must be filled in our district, especially Judicial Candidates, to fill vacancies.)

The county-wide County Committee Organizing Meeting is where party rules are approved, the chair of the Executive Committee is elected, members of the Ethics Committee are approved, and discussions between members in other districts can confer with one another. Our Assembly Districts are often underrepresented at this convention. Anyone who ran for County Committee should attend to remain an active part of the community even if they cannot participate in the process. Be sure to caucus with your district after you check-in. Identify yourself as a County Committee Member, Delegate or member of a particular Assembly District when you arrive. You will be given verbal instructions as per where you should sit. If you are not currently a member of County Committee, you may be able to fill a vacancy. This can be arranged with your District’s Leader.

All members elected in the most recent primary or appointed to fill vacancies at such meetings are entitled to be noticed of, attend and vote in any subsequent Divisional AD Committee Organizing Meetings and the County Committee Organizing Meeting.

Serving on County Committee (a two-year term) is a great way to be involved and make change happen at the local level. The main tasks performed by County Committee members are: (1) Attend Divisional Committee Meetings, (2) Attend one organizing meeting every two years, (3) Elect Party Leadership, (4) Approve Party Rules, (5) Choose Democratic nominee in state special elections, i.e. US Congressperson Jerrold Nadler in 1992, (6) Help fill judicial vacancies, (7) Vote on resolutions of public concern submitted by members, (8) Engage with your community.

JUDICIAL DELEGATES

In the first week of June the New York County Democratic Committee (Manhattan Dems) form the annual Supreme Court & Civil Court Independent Judicial Screening Panel. The Judicial Political Calendar is officially published and includes the (1) judicial application, (2) application deadline, (3) Independent Screening Panel meetings, (4) Civil Court Screening Panel report deadline, (5) Supreme Court Screening Panel report deadline, and the date for the August New York County Democratic Judicial Convention.

Judicial Delegates should be aware of the Judicial Political Schedule and members of the Independent Judicial Screening Panel and follow the results that are published in the Screening Panel reports.

Judicial Delegates must attend Judicial Forums in their Assembly District & confer with members of their district on their concerns in the judicial system, more specifically about our county's court rooms. Candidates may reach out to the Judicial Delegates individually, and candidates are likely to attend local social functions to get to know the community and interact further with delegates.

Judicial Delegates must attend the Judicial Nominating Convention, scheduled in early August. Our Assembly Districts are often underrepresented at this convention. Anyone who ran for Judicial Delegate or Alternate Judicial Delegate should attend to remain an active part of the community even if they cannot participate in the process. Be sure to caucus with your district after you check-in. Identify yourself as a County Committee Member, Delegate or member of a particular Assembly District when you arrive. You should be handed instructions as per your designation.

The 2025 Judicial Convention was located at SVA Theatre, 333 West 23rd Street, New York, NY 10011 on Monday, August 11th at 7pm. This year's conventions will be at the same location on Monday August 10th at 6pm.

For more information on the nomination process for New York City judges, click here, for the NYC Bar Associations Selection Process Guide.

The title for this FAQ section is crucial! The 71st & 72nd Assembly Districts have THE LOWEST voter turn out in our county. Therefore, we have the LEAST representation when our county votes on important decisions.

Once every FOUR years, specifically the vote cast on the Democratic Party ticket for Governor & Lt Governor (one ticket, two candidates) determines the number of County Committee seats & Judicial Delegates we receive.

County Committee seats: Under NY Election Law §2-104, each election district gets at least two seats automatically, plus additional seats as set by the county committee's own rules - but any formula for those additional seats has to be proportional to the party's vote in that ED for Governor in the last gubernatorial general election.

Judicial Delegates: Same underlying logic - delegate & alternate delegate counts to judicial conventions are apportioned based on the party's vote for Governor in that gubernatorial election (the historical benchmark cited in party rules is one delegate/alternate per 5,000 votes cast for Governor, or major fraction thereof, though exact formulas vary by party/district).

Party line matters: DO NOT vote for Governor & Lt Governor in November's General Election on the Working Families Party line! The WFP is the only party recognized in NY State that does not organize county committees. Therefore, every vote on the WFP line for Governor works against us at the county level. We only receive more County Committee seats & Judicial / Alt Judicial Delegates when we increase voter turn out using the Democratic Party line on the ballot for Govern/Lt Gov ticket.