Trailblazer and Renegade: Wendy Li Takes on the Political Machine

“We need to return the power to the people” intoned Judge Wendy Li to a newspaper editorial board recently. Remarkable and even revolutionary words for any candidate for public office let alone a sitting Civil Court Judge vying to be the next Queens Surrogate’s Court Judge and the first female Asian- American Surrogate in the history of State of New York. The Court has jurisdiction over the wills and estates of the over two million residents of the world’s borough.

It was never easy for Wendy Li. She immigrated to America at age of 28 from China for a better life and the American Dream. She grew up modestly, her parents saving their hard-earned wages to send Wendy to college. Wendy continued to learn English while going to law school at Southern Methodist University in addition to having an on-campus job. Ambition and sheer tenacity led her to excel and ascend to partner at several international law firms practicing corporate, finance, trusts and estates law. Wendy has more than 25 years of legal expertise.

Wendy Li decided the prestige and comfort of law firm partnership was not enough. A deep sense of service motivated her to challenge the political establishment and run for Civil Court Judge in 2018. She ran against a candidate backed by almost every politician in Manhattan, including lower Manhattan. “When I actually ran for the Civil Court Judge in 2018, people told me not to run because I was not born here in this country,” recalled Judge Li in a recent interview. “But I didn’t listen. I ran and I won.” Li now boasts the most judicial experience in this race.

Currently Wendy Li is in the political fight of a lifetime. What conventional political wisdom considers impossible Wendy considers a calling. “I think the power of the people is greater than the machine endorsement. The people of Queens will win this race.” Words that undoubtedly frighten the power brokers who have reaped wealth from their political influence over the Court.

The Queens Surrogate’s Court has been described as the last bastion of party patronage. The law firm Sweeney, Reich & Bolz represents the Queens Democratic Party and, at the same time, the Queens Surrogate’s Court’s public administrator – an appointment from the now retiring Surrogate Judge Peter Kelly, himself a political ally of the law firm.

The endemic and entangled web of influence-peddling does lead to abuse. Judge Clyde Waite described how it took a decade to process the estate of a family member. “Their subtle suggestion is if I get the right lawyer, this would all go away.” Voters across Queens have told stories of excessive fees charged to estates and drawn-out proceedings that can only be described as miscarriages of justice. This occurs outside the direct experience of most people rendering Wendy Li’s candidacy the ray of hope toward reforming the Court and establishing attorney and guardianship appointments based on merit and qualification, not political connections. Judge Li wants to establish a night court so working people need not risk their jobs or wages and scale up language interpretation services to address inequalities impeding equal access to the Court.

At the same time, the law firm runs an old-school Tammany Hall political machine. Marshaling endorsements, organized labor, and faith leaders behind its carefully selected candidates who have demonstrated complete deference and loyalty to it.

The corrosive effect of machine politics on local democracy is reflective in the total absence of endorsements for Wendy Li from elected officials and Democratic Party political clubs some of which refuse to even meet with or even discuss Wendy Li’s candidacy. On certain occasions, community leaders have been forced not to endorse Wendy’s candidacy. Queens is presently one third Asian-American and represented by recognized elected leaders like Congressmember Grace Meng, as well as State Senator and former New York City Comptroller John Liu. Machine politics has prevented many candidates from accessing the ballot – including Astoria attorney Donna Furey – in this race. Its political tactics –intimidation and interference with candidates’ fundamental right to run and campaign – are outright authoritarian.

Wendy Li’s grassroots campaign finds the candidate with her young supporters greeting commuters at rain-swept train stations, putting up posters on storefronts across the borough, and engaging in living room conversations with small groups of neighbors.

A former Congressmember has described the Queens political machine without its hold on the Surrogate’s Court as “a shell of its former self.”

With the support of those believe the era of machine politics must end, Wendy has considerably outraised her opponent in fundraising. Often described as the underdog in this race, it is distinctly possible the Wendy Li juggernaut is in fact the overdog.

When Wendy Li carries the day on June 25, the power will indeed return to the people.