Judge of the New York City Civil Court · Queens Civil Court District 3

Queens court attorney and private lawyer-arbitrator vie for open Civil Court seat

This is an open seat. Both parties' June 23, 2026 primaries for it were canceled, so each nominee advanced without a primary vote.

How this race works

How the vote works: One judge will be elected on Nov. 3, 2026. Michelle Ann McSweeney-Ortiz is on the Democratic line; William David Shanahan is on the Republican and Conservative lines.
What the court does: The Civil Court is a trial-level court for civil disputes between individuals and businesses. It hears lawsuits to recover money or personal property worth up to $50,000, landlord-tenant cases, and small claims of up to $10,000.
Term: Judges are elected to 10-year terms.
Why candidates take no positions: New York's judicial conduct rules bar judicial candidates from making pledges, promises or commitments on cases, controversies or issues likely to come before the court that are inconsistent with impartially performing the court's duties (22 NYCRR 100.5(A)(4)(d)).

Sources (6)

Court attorney, Queens County Supreme Court · Admitted to the New York bar in 2006

On the Democratic ballot line for this election.

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

Lawyer in private practice and court arbitrator · Admitted to the New York bar in 1990

On the Republican and Conservative lines in this election.

No endorsements beyond the Republican and Conservative lines were found as of Sept. 29, 2026.

▸ Your ballot — Civil Court Judge - District 3

Fill in one oval. Change it anytime.

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

2 candidates · 0 selected case examples · 1 candidate with evaluations

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

MMMcSweeney-Ortiz

$8K

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

Sources (22)