Pennsylvania Primary Election 2017

Today, May 16, is Pennsylvania Primary Election 2017. To be chosen are the major party candidates for municipal and judicial offices. Turnout is usually very low.

One Pennsylvania Supreme Court seat is on the ballot. Republican Sallie Munday was appointed by Gov. Tom Wolf last year to fill a seat on the nine-member board vacated by  J. Michael Eakin and is seeking a full term. She is running unopposed in her primary. She will face in November Democrat Dwayne Woodruff, an Allegheny County Common Pleas court judge who is uncontested in his primary.   Chief Justice Thomas Saylor (R) and Justice  Debra Todd (D) will have retention votes in November, however.

For Pennsylvania Superior Court, there are four vacancies in which five candidates are running in each party. Superior Court is intermediate appellate court for most things.

The Republican candidates are: Emil Giordano, a Common Pleas Court judge in Northampton County; Wade Kagarise, a Common Pleas Court judge in Blair County; Mary Murray, a magisterial district court judge from southwestern Pennsylvania; Paula Patrick, a Court of Common Pleas judge in Philadelphia; and Craig Stedman, the Lancaster County district attorney.

The Democrats are: Bill Caye, an attorney in private practice; Debra Kunselman, administrative judge for the civil division of the Beaver County Court of Common Pleas;  Maria McLaughlin, a family law judge on the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas; incumbent Superior Court Judge Geoffrey Moulton Jr.; and Carolyn Nichols, a Philadelphia Common Pleas judge.

For Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court, there are two vacancies.Commonwealth Court is the intermediate appellate court where cases involving state agencies are heard along with some in which the Commonwealth is a party.

Republicans Christine Fizzano Cannon, a Delaware County Common Pleas Court judge in Delaware County and Paul Lally, a Pittsburgh lawyer are uncontested in their primaries.

Seeking the Democrat nominations are: incumbent Joseph Cosgrove, who was appointed last year and is seeking a full term; Bryan Barbin, a state representative from Cambria County; Timothy Barry, a lawyer from Allegheny County; Ellen Ceisler, a Court of Common Pleas judge in Philadelphia; Irene McLaughlin Clark, a lawyer from Pittsburgh; and Todd Eagan, an attorney from Scranton.

In Delaware County, District Attorney Jack Whelan is running for Common Pleas Court Judge. He is uncontested on the Republican side and has cross-filed as a Democrat where he will face Kelly Eckel. For County Council Republicans John J. Perfetti and Dave White, and Democrats Jennifer Leith and Brian Zidek are uncontested in their primaries. For Sheriff, Republican Mary Hopper and Democrat Jerry Sanders are uncontested in their primaries. For County Controller, Republican Robert Kane and Democrat Joanne Phillips are uncontested in their primaries. For Register of Wills, Republican Jen Maddaloni and Democrat Mary Walk are uncontested in their primaries.

In Springfield, Republicans Joseph Rago and Margaret Young are unopposed for auditor and tax collector respectively and there are no candidates in the Democrat primary. In the 4th Ward, Republican Paul Weschsler and Democrat Bonny Hodges are unopposed in their commissioner primaries. In the 2nd and 6th wards, Gina Sage and Bob Layden are unopposed in their commissioner primaries and there are no Democrat primary candidates. In the school board races, Dennis Dunn and incumbent Board President Jennifer Lofland are running in Region 2. Both candidates have cross-filed. The Springfield Republican Party treats school board races as non-partisan but one is upset at the proposed $130-million-plus plan for the new high school and lives in Region 2, well, Ms. Lofland is the incumbent.

Domenic Bentivegna is unopposed in Region 1; Jennifer Flynn is unopposed in Region 3; and Bruce Lord is unopposed in Region 8 albeit Lord, unlike, the others did not cross-file on the Democrat ballot so  even a loosely-organized write-in campaign can conceivable give him opposition in November.

Pennsylvania Primary Election 2017

Pennsylvania Primary Election 2017

 

 

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