2 Democrats lead in race for Onondaga County Family Court judge

Syracuse, NY — Two Democrats narrowly led in a race for two open Onondaga County Family Court seats.

Around 88,000 ballots have been counted through Tuesday. As many as 3,697 absentee ballots remain uncounted.

Four candidates – two Republicans and two Democrats – campaigned to win two open seats in the county’s family court.

Diane Darwish Plumley and Joseph J. Zavaglia, 46, are endorsed by the county Democratic Committee. Doug DeMarche and Lourdes Rosario, 43, are endorsed by the Republican and Conservative parties.

After Election Night, Zavaglia had 42,873 votes, Plumley had 40,103, Rosario had 39,165 and DeMarche had 36,871, in unofficial returns. While there aren’t enough votes left for DeMarche to win, Rosario mathematically could catch Plumley when the remaining absentees are counted.

The seats opened after Judges Michele Pirro-Bailey and Martha Mulroy announced they were stepping down before the end of their 10-year terms.

Family court judges hear cases regarding youth crime, child custody, child abuse and more. That work can be emotional and taxing for the judges who have to make decisions for families in crisis, Pirro-Bailey said.

Zavaglia and DeMarche have experience working as judges in East Syracuse and Cicero, respectively. Rosario serves as a court attorney referee in Family Court, which means she is assigned some family court cases and makes determinations, she said. Plumley has dedicated her private law practice to family and domestic relations law.

All four candidates spent thousands of dollars on their campaigns. Rosario and Zavaglia had the most money in their funds, according to an October filing.

The salary for a family court judge in 2022 was $210,900, according to state payroll records.

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