Pennsylvania voters will cast ballots tomorrow, May 17, to determine the candidates in November for municipal, school board and judicial elections.
The state defines municipalities as counties, cities, boroughs and townships.
Turnout in these election is usually low with the turnout in the primary usually being even lower. The only state-wide races involve the Supreme Court, Commonwealth Court and Superior Court.
Seeking the Republican nomination to Superior Court — a 15-member body that is the intermediate appellate court for civil and criminal cases from county Common Pleas Courts — are Vic Stabile and Paula Patrick.
Stabile, who has been with the law firm Dilworth Paxon LLP since 1987 and has been a managing partner since 1992, is the endorsed candidate. He has never served on the bench.
Ms. Patrick, an African-American, is a Philadelphia Common Pleas Court judge who is fearlessly taking on the establishment by seeking out the support of Tea Party groups.
She unabashedly told the Delaware County Patriots on March 24 that she is pro life, pro Second Amendment, pro traditional marriage and a Born Again Christian.
Democrat David Wecht is uncontested in the Democrat Superior Court race.
Seeking the Republican nomination to Commonwealth Court — a nine-member body that is the intermediate appellate court for issues involving taxation, banking, insurance, utility regulation, eminent domain, election, labor practices, elections, Department of Transportation matters, and liquor licenses — are Paul P. Panepinto and Anne Covey.
Ms. Covey is the endorsed candidate and, like Stabile, is a private attorney who never served on the bench.
Panepinto, like Ms. Patrick, is a Philadelphia Common Pleas Court judge who is seeking Tea Party support and touting his pro-life, pro-Second Amendment views.
Ms. Covey is also touting her pro life beliefs and has endorsements from the major pro-life groups.
Facing off on the Democrat ticket are Kathryn Boockvar and Barbara Ernsberger. Both are private attorneys. Ms. Boockvar is the endorsed candidate and has a history of working with legal activist groups.
Up for retention elections this November are:
Supreme Court Justice J. Michael Eakin, who won election to the court in 2001 as a Republican and is known for writing decisions in rhyming verse. To his credit, his biggest critics of this practice have been former Supreme Court colleagues Stephen A. Zappala and the late Ralph Cappy, neither of whom was known as shining examples of jurisprudence.
Superior Court Judge John T. Bender, who won as a Republican in 2001
Superior Court Judge Mary Jane Bowes, who won as a Republican in 2001.
Commonwealth Court Judge Renee Cohn Jubelirer, who won as a Republican in 2001. She is the wife of former State Sen. Majority Leader Robert Jubelirer, who was turned out of office in his party’s primary in 2006 due to the pay raise scandal.
Commonwealth Court Judge Mary Hannah Leavitt, who won as a Republican in 2001
Robert “Robin” Simpson, who won as a Republican in 2001.
On a local note, Lisa Esler of the Delaware County Patriots is seeking a seat on the Penn-Delco School Board.