Queens voters selected nominees for three Civil Court judgeships in Tuesday’s Democratic primary election, with Sheridan C. Chu, Eve Cho Guillergan, and Juliette-Noor Haji holding strong leads in their respective races, according to unofficial results from the New York City Board of Elections.
Chu, an administrative law judge and Flushing resident, defeated attorney John J. Ciafone in the borough-wide race for Queens County Civil Court judge. With 90.49% of scanners reporting, Chu secured 96,801 votes—58.9% of the total—compared to Ciafone’s 66,405 votes, or 40.4%. The winner of this race will be eligible to serve anywhere within Queens County’s civil court system, handling matters ranging from housing disputes to small claims cases.
Chu, who has served on the city’s Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings, was endorsed by several local Democratic clubs and legal organizations. His opponent, Ciafone, a personal injury attorney and former teacher, previously ran unsuccessfully for civil court in 2022.
In the 2nd Municipal Court District, which includes neighborhoods such as Elmhurst, Woodside, Jackson Heights, and parts of Corona, Guillergan led the race with 19,632 votes—or 58.1%—over Julie M. Milner, who earned 13,982 votes, or 41.4%, with 89.07% of scanners reporting. Guillergan is an immigration attorney and former court attorney-referee with experience in family and housing court.
The race in the 1st Municipal Court District, covering portions of southeast Queens including Jamaica and St. Albans, was also decisively called for Haji. A former public defender and administrative law judge, Haji garnered 18,711 votes—69.2%—against Thomas G. Wright-Fernandez, who received 8,205 votes, or 30.3%. Over 95% of scanners had reported in that contest as of Tuesday night.
Judicial races in New York City, particularly for civil court, rarely garner the same attention as higher-profile contests, but the offices wield significant influence over everyday legal matters. The winners of these primaries are widely expected to secure victory in the November general election in heavily Democratic Queens.
Final certification of results will follow after all absentee and affidavit ballots are counted.
