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New York
Candidate profile

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Rita Mella

Democratic · New York · 2026 · Incumbent

On the November 3 ballot for Surrogate, New York County, New York

Was Rita Mella elected? The official answer comes December 15.

New York makes results final in three steps.
✓
Done · Nov 3
Votes were cast and counted
Election night totals are a first count, not the final one.
2
Happening now · by Nov 28
Counties double-check their counts
The county reviews mail ballots, provisional ballots and any recount, then sends official totals to the state.
3
Next · Dec 15
New York makes it official
The State Board of Canvassers certifies the result. The winner appears on this page that day.

What local news is reporting

Not official yetUpdated November 5, 2026

This report is cited to the outlet that published it. We do not call races.

Surrogate, New York County
No report found yet

Reports are checked daily until New York certifies on December 15; a certified winner replaces the report on that day.

Biography

Rita Mella is the sitting New York County Surrogate, elected to the bench in 2013 as the first Latina to preside over the New York County Surrogate's Court, per court records citing nycourts.gov. She began her judicial career as a New York County Civil Court judge in 2007, per the same records. Born in Santo Domingo, she moved to the United States at 22, earned a B.A. from the Universidad Nacional Pedro Henriquez Ureña, and a J.D. from CUNY School of Law in 1991, per the same records. She is unopposed on the Democratic line for reelection, per the NYC Board of Elections contest list. No campaign website was found as of September 25, 2026.

On the ballot

Surrogate, New York CountyNew York · 2026New York County sample ballot

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Voting info and more

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How we source this

Profile facts follow official election office filings and the sources cited in each biography. Roster last verified October 24, 2026. Official sources are the final word on who appears on your ballot.

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