Lebovits Gets Nod from Dems for NY Supreme Court Justice Seat, Running Unopposed in Nov.
The 69-year-old civil court judge got the nod over two other civil court colleagues who were also vying for the job. Getting the OK from the Democratic committee is akin to winning the November election since he is expected to run unopposed.
| 16 Aug 2024 | 06:38
Civil Court Judge Gerald Lebovits is expected to run unopposed in the November election for the sole open seat on the Supreme Court in New York County after getting the nod from the local Democratic panel on Aug. 8. He’ll be joining his wife Margaret Chan, who is already a NYS Supreme Court judge in Manhattan. (
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Civil Court Judge Gerald Lebovits celebrates at the after party at Arte Cafe on W. 74th St. after he learned he’s the sole person to be running for the open Supreme Court seat in New York County in November.
Judge Gerald Lebovits beat out two other civil court colleagues to secure the Democratic nomination for the sole open seat on the New York County Supreme Court.
Getting the nomination from the Dems means he is virtually assured to election in November since he is expected to run unopposed.
The nod was a long time coming for the 69 year old civil court justice. “Ten time’s the charm,” he joked in accepting the nomination from the panel where he had been cleared at other times in his career.
And, after successfully going through the panel all those years, Lebovits decided it was time to say “Yes,” and he did to a cheering standing ovation by the judicial and alternate delegates, elected officials and colleagues. He beat two other civil court judges Suzanne Adams and Judy Kim–who were the other also in the hunt for the Supreme Court nod this year.
Those two along with Jim Clynes and others will be vying for future open seats on the Supreme Court.
Lebovits will be joining his wife, Justice Margaret Chan, on the Supreme Court bench. She also served on NY County Civil Court before being elected to Supreme.
Judge Lebovits is running unopposed on the November ballot and is expected to be sworn in in January 2025.
[Full disclosure: as an alternate delegate and a long time “East Side Observer” columnist for Straus News and Our Town, I attended the Manhattan Democratic Convention on August 8th at the Ethical Culture Society School on Central Park West where the gathering was held
After the after party celebration at Arte Cafe (which I didn’t go to), I followed up with the judge in my reporter role to get a comment. He said, very judicially: “I am proud to serve. It’s a great honor, opportunity, and privilege to resolve disputes and do justice.”
And how about serving on the same court as your wife, I wanted to know? “I’m thrilled to be an elected justice with my wife, Margaret Chan, who was elected three years ago to Supreme Court. She’s my supervising judge at home and at work.”