Politics

Rockland Democrats Announce Four County-wide Candidates for 2024

Published

2 years ago

January 20, 2024

ROCKLAND COUNTY, NY – A large gathering of supporters braved cold temperatures, high winds and snow squalls, to join Rockland Democratic Committee Chair Schenley Vital as he announced a slate of four county wide candidates running for public office in 2024: Judge Rachel Tanguay for New York State Supreme Court Justice, Hon. Donna Gorman Silberman for re-election as the Rockland County Clerk, Judge David Ascher for Rockland County Court Judge and Judge Djinsad Desir for Rockland County Court Judge.

Judge Tanguay seeks election to the New York State Supreme Court, Ninth Judicial District, a court that handles a variety of civil law cases. She currently serves as a Rockland County Family Court Judge and Acting Supreme Court Justice. Judge Tanguay has presided over Family Court matters since 2016, and prior to that was Principal Law Clerk to the Hon. Sherri L. Eisenpress, now elected to the New York State Supreme Court. Judge Tanguay previously ran her own law practice handling family and civil law cases, as well as worked for a local law firm.

County Clerk Donna Gorman Silberman is running for re-election as the Rockland County Clerk, having served in that position since 2021. Ms. Silberman has implemented many new services, including a new public access counter making access to the County Clerk’s Office services easier than ever before. She has enhanced the electronic filing system so that users can access 80% of all documents filed in the office online 24 hours a day. Within the next few months, Ms. Silberman will be launching her newly created mobile passport office.

Judge David Ascher seeks election to the Rockland County Court, a court that hears felony criminal matters. He currently serves as a Clarkstown Town Justice, as well as running a busy law practice in New City, NY since 2005. Judge Ascher has presided over a variety of criminal and civil cases filed in Clarkstown since becoming a Town Justice in 2015. He also previously worked as a Village Prosecutor and Assistant District Attorney, both in Rockland County.

Judge Djinsad Desir also seeks election to the Rockland County Court. He currently serves as a Ramapo Town Justice, while working as Principal Law Clerk to the Honorable Larry Schwartz, who presided over the Rockland County Court from 2017-2023 and is now elected to the New York State Supreme Court. Judge Desir also served as a Spring Valley Village Justice from 2013-2021. As a local Justice, Judge Desir has presided over criminal and civil cases filed in both the Village of Spring Valley and the Town of Ramapo. Prior to working for the court system, Judge Desir worked as an Associate Attorney for Vernon & Ginsburg in New York City and as a Staff Attorney for the Legal Aid Society of Rockland County.

Politics

Congressman Mike Lawler Announces Bid for Reelection to Congress, Will Not Run for Governor

Published

4 months ago

July 23, 2025

Rockland Report Editor

Rockland County, NY — Congressman Mike Lawler, a lifelong Rockland County resident and graduate of Suffern High School, officially announced today that he will seek reelection to the U.S. House of Representatives, putting to rest speculation that he might enter the race for Governor of New York.

Lawler, who represents New York’s 17th Congressional District, said his decision to remain focused on Congress reflects his commitment to continuing the work he’s started on behalf of Hudson Valley residents. Since taking office in January 2023, Lawler’s office has closed over 6,000 constituent service cases and successfully returned more than $27.2 million to residents throughout the district.

One of his signature achievements has been his leadership in reforming the State and Local Tax (SALT) deduction cap. Under Lawler’s advocacy, the SALT cap was quadrupled to $40,000, providing significant tax relief to middle-class families across the region for the next ten years.

Lawler’s decision not to run for governor preserves his role as a key Republican voice in a competitive swing district, and positions him for what is expected to be a closely watched race in 2026.
About Congressman Mike Lawler:

New York’s 17th Congressional District, includes Rockland and portions of Westchester and Putnam County.

Politics

Siena Poll Shows Lawler Outperforms Stefanik Versus Hochul in General Election

Published

4 months ago

July 1, 2025

Rockland Report Editor

ROCKLAND COUNTY, NY — A new Siena College Poll released today shows Governor Kathy Hochul maintaining commanding leads over all three potential Republican challengers in hypothetical 2026 New York gubernatorial match-ups. The poll shows Rockland’s Congressman Mike Lawler outperforming Stefanik versus Hochul in the general election.

According to the poll of registered voters across the state, Hochul leads Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman 44-19%, Representative Elise Stefanik 47-24%, and Representative Mike Lawler 44-24%. These results are largely unchanged from May, indicating a stable political landscape heading into the second half of 2025.

“A first look at how New York voters feel about potential gubernatorial matchups shows that partisanship wins out,” said Siena College Research Institute Director Don Levy. “Hochul leads Lawler by 20 points, Stefanik by 23 points, and Blakeman by 25 points.”

Democrats and Republicans Show Clear Preferences for 2026

Among Democratic voters, Hochul remains the overwhelming favorite in a possible primary scenario, garnering 49% support. She is well ahead of Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado (12%) and Representative Ritchie Torres (10%). These numbers are virtually unchanged from last month’s Siena poll.

On the Republican side, voters are rallying most strongly behind Elise Stefanik, who leads the GOP field with 35% support, compared to Mike Lawler’s 18% and Bruce Blakeman’s 7%.