Following vocal opposition on the left to the governor’s nomination for the state’s top judge, Hector LaSalle, a group of Latino leaders is coalescing to push back. 

The newly formed group, called Latinos for LaSalle, plans to counteract progressives who are opposing LaSalle, the presiding justice of New York Supreme Court’s Second Department, as the state’s new chief judge.

The group includes former Bronx Borough President Fernando Ferrer, former City Council Speaker Melissa Mark Viverito and political consultant Luis Miranda.

The group released a statement that reads in part: “Judge LaSalle has been a part of over 5,000 cases throughout his career, yet an organized group of people supporting other candidates for Chief Judge has decided to cherry pick a handful of cases in an unprecedented, disingenuous and unhinged campaign to distort his record. We will not allow this to continue.”

The new organization comes after progressive leaders and lawmakers voiced opposition to the nomination, saying he was too conservative to lead the state’s highest court. The state Senate must confirm the governor’s nomination. 

Already about a dozen senators, including state Senate Deputy Majority Leader Mike Gianaris, have said they will not support LaSalle — putting his nomination in jeopardy.  

If he were to get the court’s top job, he would become the state’s first Latino chief judge.