Paul Feinman, an appellate judge in Manhattan, is Gov. Andrew Cuomo's choice to fill the seat on the Court of Appeals left vacant by the death of Judge Sheila Abdus-Salaam.

Feinman, whom Cuomo elevated to the Appellate Division, First Department, in 2012, would become the first openly gay judge to serve on New York's highest court if confirmed by the state Senate.

The Democratic governor said in a statement released by his office Thursday that Feinman would be “an exceptional addition” to the state's highest court.