ELECTION RESULTS FOR 2007
Supreme Court Elections
Two new justices were elected to the Supreme Court this fall: Democrats Seamus McCaffery and Debra Todd, both judges on the Superior Court, won the election, defeating Republicans Maureen Lally-Green, also a Superior Court judge, and Mike Krancer, former Chief Judge of the Environmental Hearing Board.
Another vacancy will be created on the Court when Chief Justice Ralph Cappy retires effective January 7, 2008.
How Much Did it Cost to Run for a Seat on the Supreme Court?
The four – Democrats Seamus McCaffery and Debra Todd and Republicans Mike Krancer and Maureen Lally-Green -- for two open seats on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court raised a combined total of $6,855,770. Each candidate raised well over one million dollars. When in-kind donations are factored in, the total increases by almost one million dollars. To read more in-depth analysis of the finances of the recent Supreme Court election, click here.
Superior Court Elections
Elections also were held to fill three vacancies on the Superior Court created by the mandatory retirement of Judge John Hudock, the retirement of President Judge Joseph A. Del Sole, and the decision by Judge Michael Joyce not to seek retention. Winning the election were Republicans Cheryl Allen, an Allegheny County judge, and Jacqueline Shougn, an Allegheny County attorney; and democrat Christine Donahue, also of Allegheny County.
In addition, voters elected local court judges in counties throughout the Commonwealth. In Philadelphia, Democrats Linda Carpenter, Alice Beck Dubow, Michael Erdos and Ellen Green-Ceisler won the election.
In Allegheny County, democrats Cathleen Bubash Jack McVay, Michael McCarthy and Kelly Eileen Bigley won the election.
To view results for other counties, visit the State Department's Election Results page.
Retention Elections
PMC prepared a chart outlining information voters need in order to make informed decisions about judges standing for retention and identifying resources that can provide such information.
Seven appellate judges stood for retention in 2007: Supreme Court Justice Thomas Saylor; Superior Court Judges John Musmanno, Correale Stevens and Joan Orie Melvin; and Commonwealth Court Judges Doris Smith-Ribner, Bernard McGinley and Bonnie Leadbetter. all were retained. Fifty-nine of the sixty local court judges tanding for retention also were retained A list of all Pennsylvania judges who were up for retention can be found here.
Retention elections, traditionally quite nonevents in Pennsylvania, have been getting much more attention since 2005 when for the first time a Pennsylvania appellate judge -- Supreme Court Justice Nigro -- failed to win retention. PMC authored a commentary piece about the 2005 retention elections: Lessons from an Unusual Retention Election (Court Review, vol. 42, Issues 3-4, Fall/Winter 2006).
2009 Judicial Elections
Several appellate court seats will be up for election in 2009. Voters will elect one Supreme Court justice to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Chief Justice Cappy. In addition, voters will elect three Superior Court judges, to fill the vacancies created by the mandatory retirement of Richard Klein and by the election of Judges Seamus McCaffery and Debra Todd to the Supreme Court. Voters will elect two Commonwealth Court judges to fill the vacancies created by the retirement this year of Judge James Gardner Colins and the upcoming mandatory retirement of Judge Rochelle Friedman.
In addition, several appellate court judges will stand for retention in 2009. On the Superior Court, President Judge Kate Ford Elliot and Judge Maureen Lally-Green will stand for retention. On the Commonwealth Court, Judge Dante Robert Pellgrini will stand for retention.
Voters often are perplexed by judicial elections. There are so many candidates, and it is difficult to know how to make these important decisions. For information about what to consider when voting in judicial elections, view PMC's chart outlining information voters need in order to make informed decisions about judicial candidates and identifying resources that can provide such information.
Retention elections also present challenges for voters who may not have much knowledge about or experience with the courts or the judiciary. For information about what to consider when voting in retention elections, view PMC's chart outlining information voters need in order to make informed decisions about judges standing for retention and identifying resources that can provide such information.
