GOP candidate for Saratoga County judge withdraws, offers resignation after comments on ballot case

The GOP-endorsed candidate for Saratoga County Court judge has withdrawn from the race, and offered his resignation as a town justice. This comes after a scandal.

Matthew Coseo is a law clerk for state Supreme Court Justice Dianne Freestone and a Wilton town justice. He was set to run to replace retiring Judge Jim Murphy. However, he sent a letter to the Saratoga County Republican Committee on Thursday bowing out of the race.

He said: “for reasons outside of my control, it has become clear that my continued candidacy would create a distraction and difficulty for the Party, the Court and most importantly to my family.”

“As such, it is with profound regret that I must withdraw my candidacy, respectfully return the endorsement, and immediately suspend my campaign for County Court Judge,” he went on to say.

Coseo told NewsChannel 13 that he would resign his town justice position and offered his resignation to Judge Freestone.

His withdrawal came shortly after The Times Union published a story on its website, saying that Coseo had told Republican committee members that he and Freestone would issue a decision in favor of a Republican lawsuit that is challenging the issuance and handling of absentee ballots.

At issue is the 2021 law that allows anyone to vote by mail.

When contacted, a representative for the Saratoga County Republican Committee said it was too soon to discuss who the committee would endorse.

Murphy’s court attorney, Adele Kurtz, had declared her candidacy but did not receive the endorsement.