Republican Judge claims victory in Brooklyn, marking century-long shift

Etan C. Harris is projected to have defeated Democrat Susan Lieberman for the 8th District Municipal Court Civil Court Judge position, securing approximately 50.91% of the vote in Tuesday’s election based on unofficial results.

This represents the first Republican win in the district in 105 years, a significant development in a traditionally Democratic stronghold.

The result stands in contrast to the broader political landscape in Brooklyn, where most Republican incumbents lost their Assembly and Senate seats.

“He made history,” stated Liam McCabe, chairman of the Kings County Republican Party, drawing a comparison to the holiday character Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer navigating a storm. “Even in a Democratic blizzard, we had this Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer flying through the storm and, you know, will only be that much stronger next time around.”

Etan Harris was the only candidate in Brooklyn to receive the endorsement of Republican City Councilmember Inna Vernikov.

“A little over a year ago, we saw a rare opportunity to flip a judicial seat from blue to red in our area. Thanks to the support of so many volunteers, the Brooklyn GOP & Conservative Party, Etan Harris is going to be the first Republican civil court judge in over 100 years,” Vernikov said. “Etan will bring a non-biased, apolitical approach to the bench, as well as integrity and competence. I was proud to support him and help get him to the finish line.”