Your Women's TAP Fund recently endorsed 3 judicial candidates who came to the TAP Fund for endorsement and funding. The descriptions below indicate the Steering Committee's evaluation of the candidates. As you also know, the Steering Committee also endorsed Denise E. O'Donnell in her 2006 race for NYS Attorney General. We may see more women candidates for seats in the general election, but bear in mind that this is an "off-year" for local elections, and there may not be a lot more happening this season.

In the Family Court race, the Women's TAP Fund endorses Margaret Szczur and Deborah Haendiges. This is a 1-seat race with multiple entrants, including both Margaret and Deborah. We believe Margaret and Deborah are the only women running. You may recall Margaret was a Family Court judge for 10 years and lost her seat in a hotly contested, crowded race last year. The Steering Committee enthusiastically endorsed her for that race and remains strongly supportive of her. She will be on several party lines, but not the Republican line.

Another strong candidate is Deborah Haendiges, who was appointed by Gov. Pataki to fill a remaining term just a few months ago. She has worked in Family Court as a lawyer and is well-respected. She will be running on the major party lines, both Republican and Democrat. The TAP Fund endorses her and has contributed to her campaign.

Lynn Clarke is a Democratic candidate for State Supreme Court. She is a 1991 graduate of the YWCA IPL program and has been active in Democratic politics for years. She already has been endorsed by the Pro-Choice Network, IUE Local 1581, AFL-CIO and CWA. For her candidacy to continue, she needs to be nominated at the judicial convention, which will take place in a few weeks. There are 3 seats open, with 2 incumbents, we believe. The Steering Committee is impressed with Lynn's years of commitment and her strong background. The TAP Fund is contributing to Lynn Clark's campaign to assist her in obtaining the nomination. If she does not spend it all, she must return the remainder to TAP. If she wins the endorsement, she is encouraged to return to TAP for possible additional funding.