Voting during the midterm elections in Baltimore, on Nov. 8, 2022. Photo: Diego M. Radzinschi/ALM Judicial Elections Voter Guide: Pennsylvania Candidates Discuss Qualifications, Approach Ahead of 2023 Primary
This year, more than 100 candidates are vying for seats on 27 common pleas benches, as well as spots on the state's three appellate courts.
May 08, 2023 at 01:23 AM
4 minute read
Judges
Judicial races in Pennsylvania are often low-key events, but that doesn't mean they need to be low-information.
Every year, The Legal strives to provide an in-depth look at the Keystone state's judicial races, and as part of that effort we have put together a series of Q&A-style interviews with the candidates to get information on their background and thoughts about how they will approach the bench.
This year, more than 100 candidates are vying for seats on 27 common pleas benches, as well as spots on the state's three appellate courts. The primary is set to take place May 16.
Scroll down to read the candidate Q&As.
Pennsylvania Supreme Court Race Candidates
Carolyn Carluccio, Deborah Kunselman, Daniel McCaffery and Patricia McCullough battle for a spot on the state's highest court.
Pennsylvania Superior Court Race Candidates
Five candidates, Jill Beck, Harry Smail Jr., Maria Battista, Patrick Dugan and Timika Lane, are looking to join the state Superior Court.
Commonwealth Court Race Candidates
Bryan Neft, Joshua Prince, Matthew Wolf and Megan Martin face off for a spot on the Commonwealth Court.
Allegheny Common Pleas Candidates
Anthony Deluca, Andrew Szefi and Patrick Sweeney battle in a three-way race in Allegheny County.
Berks Common Pleas Candidates
Three candidates, Kurt Geishauser, Justin Bodor and Jill Scheidt, vie for a spot on the Berks County bench.
Blair Common Pleas Candidates
Blair County's David Consiglio, Fred Miller and Joel Seelye push for a seat on the common pleas bench.
Bucks Common Pleas Candidates
Current District Attorney Matthew Weintraub is running unopposed.
Butler Common Pleas Candidates
Terri Schultz and Maura Palumbi face off for a spot on the Butler County Court of Common Pleas.
Cambria Common Pleas Candidates
In a five-way race, Michael Carbonara, Forrest Fordham III, Timothy Sloan, Brett Smith and Tonilyn Kargo vie for the Cambria County bench.
Centre Common Pleas Candidates
Gopalakrishnan Balachandran and Julia Rater go head to head for a spot on the Centre County court.
Chester Common Pleas Candidates
Twelve candidates—Deborah Ryan, Fredda Maddox, Kristine Howard, Sarah Black, Andrew Rongaus, David Black, Donald Kohler Jr., Nicole Forzato, Louis Mincarelli, Natacha Simmons, PJ Redmond and Thomas McCabe—battle for spots the Chester County bench.
Columbia and Montour Common Pleas Candidates
Richard Knecht is running unopposed to fill the seat former Gov. Tom Wolf nominated him to fill in June 2022.
Dauphin Common Pleas Candidates
La Tasha Cherene Williams and Courtney Powell face off for a spot on the Dauphin County bench.
Delaware Common Pleas Candidates
In a three-way race, Rachel Berry and Dawn Sutphin vie for a seat in Delaware County.
Erie Common Pleas Candidates
Leigh Ann Orton, Eric Mikovch and Peter Sala battle to join the Erie County Court.
Fayette Common Pleas Candidates
Mark Mehalov and Melinda Dellarose seek to join the Fayette bench.
Lackawanna Common Pleas Candidates
In Lackawanna, Frank Ruggiero is running unopposed.
Lancaster Common Pleas Candidates
Four candidates, Karen Maisano, Shawn McLaughlin, Todd Brown and Christina Parsons, face off in Lancaster County.
Lebanon Common Pleas Candidates
Elizabeth Judd, Donna Brightbill and Megan Ryland-Tanner vie for a seat in Lebanon County.
Lycoming Common Pleas Candidates
In Lycoming, three candidates, Andrea Pulizzi, Ryan Gardner and William Carlucci, fight for a spot on the bench.
Mifflin Common Pleas Candidates
Three Mifflin county candidates, Jerry Wagner Jr., Jonathan Reed and Jeffrey Davis, vie for spots.
Montgomery Common Pleas Candidates
Charles Rosenbaum and Daniel Ronca face off for a seat on the Montgomery County bench.
Northampton Common Pleas Candidates
In Northampton County, Brian Panella and Nancy Aaroe seek a spot on the bench.
Northumberland Common Pleas Candidates
Michael Toomey is running unopposed in Northumberland.
Philadelphia Common Pleas Candidates
Sixteen candidates—William Braveman, Brian McLaughlin, Chesley Lightsey, Damaris Garcia, Jessica Brown, John Padova, Kay Kyungsun Yu, Kenneth Joel, Natasha Taylor-Smith, Samantha Williams, Tamika Washington, Wade Albert, Joseph Green, Qawi Abdul-Rahman, Melissa Francis and Caroline Turner—are battling for spots on the Philadelphia Common Pleas bench, as three candidates vie for spots on the Municipal Court—Colleen Osborne, Rania Major and Barbara Previdi Thomson.
Schuylkill Common Pleas Candidates
William Burke and Michael Opake seek a spot on the Schuylkill bench.
Snyder and Union Common Pleas Candidates
Michael Piecuch is running unopposed for a spot on the Snyder and Union Court of Common Pleas
Venango Common Pleas Candidates
Justin Fleeger, Matthew Kirtland and Gregory Merkel face off in Venango county.
York Common Pleas Candidates
Kelley Margetas is running unopposed in York County.
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