To the editor:

Political parties play a vital role in structuring our political world. They give voters meaningful choices and clarify the direction candidates intend to move a state or nation. For governors and state legislators, partisanship makes sense. They are elected to make policy. They campaign on agendas. They are accountable for advancing a particular vision of society.

The judicial branch is different by design.

Courts are not meant to chart a political course; they are meant to safeguard the rule of law. Judges serve as a check on the partisan forces that animate the elected branches. Their duty is not to advance an ideology but to ensure that laws, executive orders, and regulations comply with the Constitution. When legislators overreach or executives act unlawfully, courts are supposed to stand apart and say so.

That independence is not a luxury. It is the foundation of constitutional government.

If we allow partisanship and campaign dollars to infiltrate the judiciary, we erode the last neutral branch in our system. When judges associate with political parties and benefit from partisan spending, the public’s confidence in fair and impartial justice collapses. Without trust in an unbiased judiciary, there is no meaningful check left on political power.

A democracy can withstand partisan ambitions in the elected branches. It cannot survive the loss of an independent court. Protect the judicial branch from partisan influence and vote NO on SCR 1611 in the August 2026 primary election.

Kelm Lear

Manhattan