July 14, 2017
BATH, NY – Judge Chauncey Watches has filed Republican, Conservative, Independence and Reform Party Designating Petitions with the Steuben County Board of Elections. According to Watches, these petitions officially secure his spot on the ballot in this fall’s election for Steuben County Surrogate Court Judge. “The most important part of running for office is listening to the people so you really understand their concerns about our court system,” said Judge Watches. “The biggest asset that voters want in our new Surrogate Court Judge is experience. The voters know that you can’t entrust this kind of position to on-the-job training.”
Watches and his team report that they collected more than 2,100 signatures in support of his candidacy – approximately double the minimum required.
“I’m very thankful to the dozens of volunteers who joined me to travel to every town and village in Steuben County to collect signatures. Their concern for the future of Steuben County is truly admirable,” Judge Watches added.
He is running for Steuben County Surrogate Court, which has jurisdiction over estate proceedings and is responsible for granting and supervising the guardianships of infants and incapacitated adults. The Surrogate Judge is also regularly assigned to County Court, Family Court and Supreme Court in Steuben and seven surrounding counties. Watches has served as a Municipal Judge in Bath for the last 13 years, where he has helped to resolve thousands of challenging cases. Beyond his tenure behind the bench, he also runs his own private legal practice and has previously served as a prosecutor and as Assigned Counsel through the Public Defender’s Office. No other candidate in this race has served in the courtroom from all sides – prosecutor, defense and judge.
The Republican Primary will be held on Tuesday, September 12, 2017. This seat will be open due to the pending retirement of Judge Marianne Furfure.
