Auburn, NY - Cayuga County voters, meet Stephen J. Lynch, a Long Island lawyer and your new candidate for state Supreme Court justice. Lynch probably won’t be going door-to-door asking for your vote. Or passing out bumper stickers. Between now and the Nov. 2 election, he may not even step foot in Cayuga County or the seven other counties west...
Auburn, NY - Cayuga County voters, meet Stephen J. Lynch, a Long Island lawyer and your new candidate for state Supreme Court justice.
Lynch probably won’t be going door-to-door asking for your vote. Or passing out bumper stickers.
Between now and the Nov. 2 election, he may not even step foot in Cayuga County or the seven other counties west of Syracuse, where he’ll be on the ballot, running as a Democrat against incumbent Supreme Court Justice Henry Scudder, a Republican.
Lynch agreed Thursday to be put on the ballot for the 7th District Supreme Court justice seat as part of a deal to allow Democratic attorney general candidate Eric Schneiderman to also run statewide as the Independence Party candidate.
Lynch began the week as the Independence Party’s candidate for attorney general — a race he had little chance of winning. Schneiderman wanted to add the Independence Party line for his campaign against Dan Donovan, a Republican.
Under the state’s election laws, Lynch could not be removed from the attorney general ballot unless he died, committed a felony or was nominated for a judicial seat.
So the state Democratic Party agreed to nominate Lynch for the judicial race — where Scudder was running unopposed — if the Independence Party made Schneiderman their statewide candidate for attorney general, Independence Party Chairman Frank McKay said.
McKay said he does not expect Lynch to campaign for judge.
“I can’t imagine he will be seriously running,” said Cayuga County Democratic Committee Chair Kate Lacey. “But if he comes to Auburn, we’ll welcome him with open arms.”
She said she has never talked to Lynch and knows nothing about him.
The Supreme Court 7th District includes Cayuga, Seneca, Monroe, Wayne, Ontario, Livingston, Yates and Steuben counties.
Lynch, 59, who works as a law clerk for a Supreme Court justice on Long Island, resides in Speonk, about 325 miles from Auburn. That’s no problem.
Candidates for Supreme Court are not required to live in the district in which they are running, said state Board of Election spokesman John Conklin.
“It’s perfectly legal. Nothing illegal about it. The law allows it,” said Scudder, a justice for 14 years who suddenly is no longer unopposed in his bid for a second term.
But he said the political maneuvering is not ideal for voters.
“To wait until five weeks before the election, it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. You need more time than that to run the race in a proper manner. But again, it’s lawful,” he said.
Scudder laughed when asked if he anticipates having any campaign debates with Lynch.
Lynch could not be reached Thursday for comment.
Contact Mike McAndrew at mmcandrew@syracuse.com or 470-3016.