Judge of the New York City Civil Court · Manhattan Civil Court District 7

Uncontested

4 candidates are running for 4 seats. You can also write in a candidate whose name isn't printed on the ballot.

Four candidates on the ballot for four Manhattan Civil Court seats

Four seats are up, not two as at the primary, after a new judgeship was added and a retirement opened another seat. Democratic county committee members were called to a July 12, 2026 meeting to choose nominees for two vacancies.

Overview Record Money

How this race works

How the vote works: Four judges will be elected on Nov. 3, 2026. On the Board of Elections' contest list printed Sept. 11, 2026, Keshia Espinal, Matthew Levy and Karen Cortes-Tower are on the Democratic line and Aija Tingling is on the Fair Courts line.
What the court does: The Civil Court decides lawsuits for money damages up to $50,000, small claims up to $10,000, and housing and landlord-tenant cases. It is the largest civil court by volume in the United States, with about a quarter of all filings in the state court system.
Term: Civil Court judges are elected to 10-year terms. To run for judge in New York's state courts, a person must have been a lawyer in New York for 10 years.
Why candidates take no positions: New York's judicial conduct rules bar judges and candidates for elective judicial office from making pledges or promises of conduct in office, or commitments about cases, controversies or issues likely to come before the court, that are inconsistent with impartially performing their adjudicative duties (22 NYCRR 100.5(A)(4)(d)).

Sources (7)

Candidates

Aija Tingling

Civil Court judge sitting in state Supreme Court, New York County (Feb. 2026) · Admitted to the New York bar in 2006

On the Fair Courts ballot line in the Nov. 3, 2026 general election.

Broadway Democrats

Keshia Espinal

Supervising judge, Kings County Criminal Court · Admitted to the New York bar in 2001

On the Democratic line in the Nov. 3, 2026 general election.

No endorsements beyond the Democratic nomination were found as of Sept. 29, 2026.

Matthew Levy

Democratic nominee · Career details not found

On the Democratic line in the Nov. 3, 2026 general election.

Uptown Community Democrats

Karen Cortes-Tower

Court attorney referee, Bronx Family Court (2026) · Admitted to the New York bar in 2004

On the Democratic line in the Nov. 3, 2026 general election.

Uptown Community Democrats

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Professional record

Experience, selected cases, and qualification assessments. Case coverage is still developing.

4 candidates · 3 selected case examples · 3 candidates with evaluations

Aija Tingling · Judge who entered the judgment that was appealed.
Judgment affirmed on appeal
Aija Tingling · Judge sitting in the Supreme Court, New York County, who issued the ruling.
Supreme Court order unanimously affirmed
Karen Cortes-Tower · Bronx Family Court judge, named Karen Cortes in the decision, before whom the case appeared on intake.
Intake order in a Bronx Family Court case

Compare experience, cases & evaluations →

The money

Cycle-to-date · NYS Board of Elections — figures change as new reports are filed.

ATTingling

$56K

KEEspinal

$10K

See who's funding them & outside money →

Researched & verified Sep 29, 2026. Compiled from verified public sources; claims that failed verification are excluded.

How to read our research & coverage

Sources (33)