Medina native Anne Joynt elected to State Supreme Court
Photo by Tom Rivers: Anne Joynt speaks during a meet the candidate event on Oct. 10 in Albion at Hoag Library.
A Medina graduate has been elected to the State Supreme Court. Anne Joynt, a Democrat, is one of four candidates elected to the 8th Judicial District, which includes the counties of Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Niagara, Orleans and Wyoming.
The race was too close to call on Election Day. But about a week later, with nearly all the ballots counted, Joynt is the winner over Jonathan Hickey, a Republican, by at least 6,000 votes.
There were seven candidates on the ballot for the justice positions with the top four vote-getters elected.
Robert Richardson (backed by Democrats, Republicans and Conservatives) led with 474,774 votes, followed by Michael Amodeo (endorsed by Democrats, Republicans and Working Families) with 444,280 votes. Deanne Tripi (backed by Republican and Conservative parties) was elected and currently has 284,819 votes. They were all clear winners right after Election Day.
Anne Joynt (on the Democratic and Working Families lines) was just ahead of Jonathan Hickey (Republican and Conservative) on election night. The latest totals have her at 268,807 votes and Hickey at 262,195.
Craig Bucki (Democratic and Working Families lines) is at 251,419 and Robert Vario, backed by the Conservative Party, has 55,026 votes.
“While the formal certification of election results will take some time, the information presently available indicates that we will not prevail in this year’s race,” Hickey posted on Facebook. “Although I am certainly disappointed in the outcome, I fully respect and accept the results.”
Joynt graduated from Medina in 1998. She is the daughter of former Medina teacher/principal Cathy Joynt and the late Robert Joynt. Her mother appeared in one of Joynt’s television ads.
Joynt graduated from Geneseo magna cum laude with degrees in English and Spanish. She enrolled at the University at Buffalo Law School and graduated with her Juris Doctor in 2005.
In her second year of law school, Anne saw an ad that a State Supreme Court candidate was looking for someone to help with her campaign. She went on to assist with the campaign of the Honorable Paula Feroleto, who is retiring this year. Joynt will assume the seat of her mentor.
Joynt is a partner with the firm Lipsitz, Ponterio & Comerford. Her clients include injured workers exposed to asbestos, children exposed to lead paint, and abused children.
She also has been involved as a member or in a leadership role with the Western New York Women’s Foundation; University at Buffalo Law School Alumni Association; Girls on the Run; Women’s TAP Fund; the Center for Elder Law and Justice; the Erie County Bar Association Aid to Indigent Prisoners Society; the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (Upstate Chapter); National Federation for Just Communities; and the Minority Bar Foundation.
She has also volunteered with the Western New York Board of Directors of Geneseo State College; the Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York, WNY Chapter; Bar Association of Erie County; Buffalo and Erie County Public Library; and Law Intern Program of Buffalo.
Her honors include “Top 100 Trial Lawyers in New York, National Trial Lawyers, 2025; Best Lawyers in America; University at Buffalo Law School Distinguished Alumni Award- Community Service; Upstate New York Super Lawyer; Woman Lawyer of the Year; Attorney of the Year Leader in Law Award; Woman of Influence by Buffalo Business First; Medina High School’s Distinguished Alumni Award; 2014/15 Woman in Leadership, Buffalo Niagara Chapter; Buffalo 40 Under 40 by Buffalo Business First; and Women in Leadership by NAWBO Buffalo-Niagara.”
She has been admitted to practice in the United States Supreme Court and New York State Supreme Court.
(Includes reporting by Ginny Kropf.)
