Last Updated on November 1, 2023
Significant questions are arising from New York State as Westchester Conservative Party Chair Hugh Fox endorsed local Democrat judicial candidates over Republican judicial candidates. Worse, Westchester Conservative Party members who attended the Westchester Conservative Party Nominating Convention feel that Chairman Fox stole their vote. Local Westchester Republican judicial candidates John Sarcone (R-Croton-on-Hudson), Judge Karen Ostberg (R-Minisink), Judge Susan Sullivan and Attorney John Ciampoli are expected to face a close election. Local sources tell NationalFile that Fox’s endorsement of Democrat candidates could swing between 12-20k votes the Democrats’ way.
Westchester Party Conservative members sued Chairman Fox after it was announced that the organization was endorsing Democrat judicial candidates. Members of the West Chester Conservative Party informed local media that the convention to endorse candidates was hectic. No official press statement or results were released following the convention’s nominating process.
After hearing the convention horror stories, Judge Marcelle, who oversaw the lawsuit, wrote, “The court finds that the convention never voted on a committee to fill vacancies. Rather, Fox took it upon himself, post-convention, to insert into the minutes and the certificate of nomination a fabrication that the convention properly created a committee to fill vacancies.”
Despite this ruling, local sources tell NationalFile that the Westchester County Conservative Party is sending out mailers and putting up billboards instructing their members to vote for the Democrat slate of judges.
One of the judicial candidates Chairman Fox endorsed, Francesca E. Connolly, is endorsed by almost all local Democrat clubs in and around West Chester County. Connolly also proudly displays photos of her attending Democrat events on her website.
Local West Chester area activists tell NationalFile that center-right leaning and independent voters should ignore Chairman Fox’s wishes and vote for John Sarcone, Karen Ostberg , Susan Sullivan and John Ciampoli in the upcoming New York State judicial election.