About Megan Dorr

Megan Dorr, an experienced court attorney with nearly 20 years of legal service in New York State, is running for Oneida County Surrogate Judge in the 2026 election. The position is currently held by the Honorable Louis Gigliotti, who will reach the mandatory retirement age in 2026.

“I’m running for Surrogate Court Judge to bring my decades of experience to serve the people of Oneida County,” said Dorr upon announcing her campaign in January. “Surrogate's Court handles some of the most sensitive issues families face. This work demands compassion, diligence, fairness and a deep respect for the law. I have devoted my career to these principles, and I’m uniquely prepared to serve as your next Surrogate Judge.”

Surrogate’s Court oversees wills, estates, adoptions and guardianships, helping to ensure that a person’s final wishes are honored, families are treated fairly and children and vulnerable adults are protected. By resolving these matters efficiently and with compassion, the Court provides stability, preserves family assets and strengthens trust in the justice system across Oneida County.

Dorr, 46, is a lifelong resident of the Mohawk Valley and currently serves as the Principal Court Attorney to the Oneida County Surrogate's Court. In this role, she mediates complex cases to resolution, manages daily legal operations, provides direct counsel on complex estate and guardianship matters, drafts judicial decisions and ensures that filings meet procedural and statutory requirements.

Before joining Surrogate’s Court, Dorr spent more than a decade as a Principal Attorney with the Mental Hygiene Legal Service (Fourth Department), where she represented vulnerable New Yorkers and handled complex cases under the Mental Hygiene Law. She prepared and presented expert testimony, led the office’s transition to electronic filing and virtual court proceedings, and supervised dozens of attorneys. Over her career, she tried hundreds of cases and helped guide legal strategy in thousands of Supreme Court matters.

Earlier in her career, she gained valuable experience handling civil litigation and working on trusts and estates practice with Kernan & Kernan, P.C. in Utica, as well as serving as a Law Clerk to Chief Bankruptcy Judge John C. Ninfo II in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of New York.

“I was born and raised in the Mohawk Valley, and my husband and I chose to settle in Oneida County to raise our two children here,” Dorr said. “If elected as your next Surrogate Court Judge, I will work every day to ensure that the Court remains fair, efficient, accessible and faithful to both the law and the values we share.”

Dorr is a Republican and lives in Clinton with her husband, Dennis, and their two children. 

The General Election is scheduled for Tuesday, November 3, 2026.