Susan Cacace

Susan Cacace
District Attorney of Westchester County
In office
January 27, 2025 – Present
Preceded byMimi Rocah
Judge of the Court of Westchester County, New York
In office
January 1, 2006 – December 31, 2023
Preceded byLester B Adler
Succeeded byAnn B. Bianchi
Personal details
Born (1964-04-16) April 16, 1964
Yonkers, New York
PartyDemocratic
Other political
affiliations
Republican
Conservative
Independence
Reform[1]
SpouseJames G. Dibbini
EducationPace University (BA)
Elisabeth Haub School of Law (JD)
ProfessionAttorney, judge, politician

Susan Marie Cacace is an American politician currently serving as District Attorney for Westchester County, New York. Cacace was elected as Westchester County's 36th district attorney in 2024. Before assuming the county's top prosecutor role, she served as a Westchester County trial judge.[2]

Education and early career

Cacace was born on April 16, 1964, to Patricia McCann and Robert W. Cacace. Her father had served as a Justice of the Peace from 1957 to 1961 and a City Judge in Yonkers, New York from 1968 until his death in 1986.[3]

Cacace obtained a bachelor's degree in English from Pace University in 1986, before also earning a juris doctor from the Elisabeth Haub School of Law, which was then-called Pace Law School, three years later.[4]

After graduating law school, Cacace worked as an assistant district attorney in Westchester County for about fifteen years. During her tenure as a prosecutor, she led the county's first dedicated animal cruelty unit.[5]

Judicial and political career

Cacace first ran for public office in 2002, seeking a position as a justice on New York State Supreme Court in the judicial 9th district. However, she failed to secure seat on the court.[6] She later joined her husband as a partner at the law firm Cacace & Dibbini.[7]

In 2005, Cacace won an election as a Westchester County Court Judge, beating Republican Party candidate Charles Devlin.[8] In 2008, she was also designated as an Acting Justice of the Supreme Court by Chief Administrative Judge Ann T. Pfau.[9] While serving her first term as a Westchester County judge, Cacace acted as the county's handgun licensing officer, a role that made her the named defendant in Kachalsky v. Cacace (2010), a federal Second Amendment challenge to New York's 'proper cause' requirement for concealed carry permits. The case was affirmed by the Second Circuit as Kachalsky v. County of Westchester, 701 F.3d 81 (2d Cir. 2012), before being effectively superseded by New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen (2022). She was later re-elected in 2015, running simultaneously with the Democratic, Republican, Conservative, Independence, and Reform party lines, under New York's fusion electoral system.[10] Cacace led the county's sex crimes court for nearly fourteen years.[11]

In 2023, Cacace retired from the Westchester County Court to run for Westchester County District Attorney[12] after incumbent Mimi Rocah announced she would not seek re-election.[13] After winning the Democratic Party nomination, Cacace beat Republican candidate John Sarcone in November 2024.[14]

Personal life

Cacace lives in Bronxville, New York with her husband and former law partner James G. Dibbini.[15] They have three daughters.[16]

In addition to her elected position, she is also a member of the Yonkers Lawyers Association, the Columbian Lawyers Association, the Westchester County Bar Association and the New York State Bar Association.[17]

Electoral history

2002 New York Supreme Court Election, 9th Judicial District[18]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Janet DiFiore 216,620
Independence Janet DiFiore 20,512
Conservative Janet DiFiore 22,443
Total Janet DiFiore 259,575
Republican Linda S. Jamieson 197,729
Independence Linda S. Jamieson 16,240
Conservative Linda S. Jamieson 21,049
Total Linda S. Jamieson 235,018
Republican Thomas A. Dickerson 196,084
Conservative Thomas A. Dickerson 21,529
Right to Life Thomas A. Dickerson 14,842
Total Thomas A. Dickerson 232,455
Republican Mary H. Smith 193,427
Conservative Mary H. Smith 21,448
Right to Life Mary H. Smith 14,948
Working Families Mary H. Smith 5,607
Total Mary H. Smith 235,430
Republican James V. Brands 190,280
Conservative James V. Brands 20,533
Right to Life James V. Brands 14,423
Total James V. Brands 225,236
Democratic Jeffrey Cohen 193,085
Independence Jeffrey Cohen 17,182
Working Families Jeffrey Cohen 6,766
Total Jeffrey Cohen 217,033
Democratic Bruce E. Tolbert 186,963
Independence Bruce E. Tolbert 16,381
Working Families Bruce E. Tolbert 6,647
Total Bruce E. Tolbert 209,991
Democratic Marc J. Lust 183,716
Independence Marc J. Lust 16,381
Total Marc J. Lust 200,097
Democratic Gerald E. Loehr 174,427
Democratic Susan Cacace-Dibbini 174,972
Right to Life Mary N. Clark 13,377
Right to Life Robert D. Brady 13,539
Working Families Elizabeth B. Emmons 6,199
Total votes 2,695,425 100.00
Republican hold
2005 Westchester County Court Judge General election[19]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Susan Cacace 94,110 53.78
Independence Susan Cacace 7,107 4.06
Total Susan Cacace 101,217 57.84
Republican Charles F. Devlin 59,831 34.19
Conservative Charles F. Devlin 7,649 4.37
Working Families Charles F. Devlin 2,497 1.43
Total Charles F. Devlin 69,977 39.99
Right to Life Raymond W. Belair 3,785 2.16
Write-in 4 0.00
Total votes 174,983 100.00
Democratic hold
2015 Westchester County Court Judge General election[20]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Susan Cacace 58,538 57.34
Republican Susan Cacace 31,704 31.06
Conservative Susan Cacace 7,166 7.02
Independence Susan Cacace 3,584 3.51
Reform Susan Cacace 650 0.64
Total Susan Cacace 101,642 99.56
Write-in 446 0.44
Total votes 102,088 100.00
Democratic hold
2024 Westchester County District Attorney Election[21][22]
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Susan Cacace 45,661 60.42
Democratic William O. Wagstaff III 22,762 30.12
Democratic Adeel Mirza 7,153 9.46
Total votes 75,576 100.00
General election
Democratic Susan Cacace 269,249 63.89
Republican John A. Sarcone III 151,914 36.05
Write-in William Wagstaff 65 0.02
Write-in 169 0.04
Total votes 421,397 100.00
Democratic hold

References

  1. ↑ "2015 General Election Canvass Book" (PDF). Westchester County Board of Elections. Westchester County. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
  2. ↑ Bandler, Jonathan. "Democrat Susan Cacace tops John Sarcone in race for Westchester DA". The Journal News.
  3. ↑ "Robert W. Cacace, Yonkers judge, dies". The Reporter Dispatch. Newspapers.com. 22 August 1986. p. 3. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
  4. ↑ "Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University Welcomes Four Leading Legal Professionals to Its Board of Visitors". Pace University New York. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
  5. ↑ "About Hon. Susan Cacace". Westchester County Office of the District Attorney. Westchester County. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
  6. ↑ "2002 Nov 5 • General • Supreme Court Justice • 9th Judicial District | New York State Board of Elections". New York State Board of Elections Elections Database. New York State. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
  7. ↑ "Cacace to step down from county bench as run for Westchester District Attorney expected". Lohud. USA Today Co. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
  8. ↑ "Westchester County, NY 2005 General Election Canvas Book". Scribd. Scribd, Inc. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
  9. ↑ "Judicial Directory: Judge Bio". New York State Unified Court System. New York State Unified Court System (via Internet Archive). Archived from the original on 23 April 2017. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
  10. ↑ "2015 General Election Canvass Book" (PDF). Westchester County Board of Elections. Westchester County. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
  11. ↑ Anna, Young (26 February 2025). "Mexican national hauled back to New York to face nearly two-decade-old child rape charges". New York Post. NYP Holdings, Inc. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
  12. ↑ "Susan Cacace Retires From Bench to Run for Westchester District Attorney". Yonkers Times. 22 December 2023. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
  13. ↑ "Westchester County District Attorney Mimi Rocah not running for re-election in 2024 - CBS New York". CBS News. CBS Broadcasting, Inc. 26 October 2023. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
  14. ↑ Bandler, Jonathan. "Democrat Susan Cacace tops John Sarcone in race for Westchester DA". The Journal News. USA Today Co. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
  15. ↑ Tara, Rosenblum; Lee, Danuff. "'I know the office.' Retired Westchester judge Susan Cacace announces bid for county DA". News 12 - Bronx. News 12. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
  16. ↑ "DA Cacace Named Grand Marshal of 50th Eastchester Columbus Day Parade-Oct.10". Yonkers Times. 28 September 2025. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
  17. ↑ "About Hon. Susan Cacace". Westchester County Office of the District Attorney. Westchester County. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
  18. ↑ "2002 Nov 5 • General • Supreme Court Justice • 9th Judicial District | New York State Board of Elections". New York State Board of Elections Elections Database. New York State. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
  19. ↑ "Westchester County, NY 2005 General Election Canvas Book". Scribd. Scribd, Inc. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
  20. ↑ "2015 General Election Canvass Book" (PDF). Westchester County Board of Elections. Westchester County. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
  21. ↑ "Cacace Wins Westchester Democratic Primary". Black Westchester. Black Westchester Magazine. 26 June 2024. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
  22. ↑ "2024 General Election Canvass Book" (PDF). Westchester County Board of Elections. Westchester County. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
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