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This afternoon, the state’s Appellate Division 2nd Judicial Department upheld the lower court’s decision to keep Esteban Duran on the ballot against Assemblyman Vito Lopez in the state committee race, and New Kings Democrats founder Matt Cowherd on the ballot as a judicial delegate for county committee.
The court heard oral arguments on the matter from Kings County attorney Carl Landicino and Duran’s attorney Leo Glickman on August 16 .
Landicino pressed that irregularities in Duran’s petitions signified "permeation of fraud," but the court disagreed and summarily dismissed the plaintiff’s appeal to invalidate Duran’s petition because the plaintiffs "failed to meet the burden of clear and convincing evidence" that fraud occurred and both Duran and Cowherd presented their defense credibly.
Lopez can still appeal to the New York Court of Appeals, and it is unclear whether he has chosen to do so at this time.
The New Kings female candidate for state committee, Barbara Medina, dropped out of the race due to an illness in her family. This grants the position to incumbent District Leader and former city council candidate Maritza Davila, a Lopez acolyte.
