GOP Makes History After 100 Years

Republican Etan C. Harris appeared to defeat Democrat Susan Liebman in the race for a Brooklyn civil court judgeship, taking 50.91 percent of the vote according to unofficial results. Local GOP leaders said the outcome would be the first time in 105 years that a Republican running without Democratic Party backing won the seat against a Democrat.

The margin was roughly two percentage points. Harris, a first-time candidate and civil litigation attorney, celebrated with supporters but stopped short of a formal declaration. “We’re projected to win. I hope we will!” he told the gathering. “It’s my first race. What do I know? I know law! I don’t know elections.”

Republicans have won some judicial posts in Brooklyn in recent decades, but those candidates typically appeared on both the Republican and Democratic lines. Harris ran only on the Republican and Conservative Party lines. Kings County Republican Party Chairman Liam McCabe called the result a “historic win.”

McCabe compared Harris to “Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer flying through the storm.” He said the candidate “made history” even on a night when Democrats won most other contests in the borough. Campaign manager David Storobin attributed the performance to “good, old-fashioned campaigning.”

Storobin said Harris is “an extremely hard-working person” and that beating the Democratic organization “shows what a great candidate he was.” City Councilmember Inna Vernikov, who endorsed Harris, said local Republicans had identified the seat as a possible pickup more than a year earlier.

Vernikov stated that Harris “will bring a non-biased, apolitical approach to the bench, as well as integrity and competence.” She noted he was the only Brooklyn candidate to receive her endorsement and campaign help this cycle. The result stood out on a night when Democrats defeated nearly every Republican incumbent running for state Assembly and Senate seats in Brooklyn.

New York City Civil Court judges serve 10-year terms and handle matters such as contracts, debts, and property disputes. The election remains subject to final certification. Harris, a Sheepshead Bay resident with 16 years of civil litigation experience, campaigned on public safety, fairness, and efficiency.

He described himself as the “law and order candidate.” The unofficial tally gives him a narrow majority. Certification will determine whether the 105-year mark is officially broken.

Brooklyn judicial races are usually low-profile compared with legislative contests. The exclusive Republican line made Harris’s performance unusual. Prior Republican judicial winners in the borough had cross-endorsements that placed them on the Democratic ballot as well.

Vernikov’s early identification of the seat as winnable guided volunteer and party efforts. The councilwoman’s support was the only such endorsement she extended in Brooklyn this cycle. That focused assistance coincided with the narrow result.

Storobin’s emphasis on traditional campaigning rather than a large operation fits the scale of a municipal court race. Judicial contests in New York City often turn on name recognition, bar association ratings, and local party machinery. Harris’s first-time status made the outcome more notable.

The Democratic performance elsewhere in Brooklyn legislative races underscored the difficulty of the environment. Assembly and Senate seats flipped or stayed Democratic in most cases. The judicial result did not follow that pattern.

Civil Court judges do not set broad policy. Their role is to preside over individual civil cases. Harris’s stated commitment to impartiality addresses the nature of the position he sought.

Unofficial results can shift slightly during canvassing and certification. The two-point margin leaves limited room for change, but the process is not complete. Local Republicans have treated the numbers as sufficient to claim the historic distinction.

The 105-year figure comes from GOP leaders tracking the last time a Republican won the specific seat without Democratic ballot access. Cross-endorsed candidates have won more recently. The distinction matters for the historical claim being made.

Harris’s legal background in civil litigation aligns with the court’s docket. Supporters argued that experience would translate to efficient handling of cases. Opponents have not publicly contested the unofficial totals.

Final certification will close the contest. Until then, the apparent victory remains the clearest Republican judicial gain in the borough on an otherwise difficult night for the party in New York City. The result provides a data point for local GOP efforts in future low-turnout judicial races.