Michele Santicola

Michele Santicola

Republican Party

Candidate, Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas

Elections and appointments

Next election

November 4, 2025

Education

High school

Hempfield Area High School

Bachelor's

Duquesne University, 1992

Law

Dickinson School of Law, 1995

Personal

Birthplace

Pittsburgh, Pa.

Religion

Christian

Profession

Attorney/judge

Contact

Campaign website

Michele Santicola (Republican Party, Democratic Party) is running for election for judge of the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas in Pennsylvania. She is on the ballot in the general election on November 4, 2025. She lost in the Democratic primary on May 20, 2025. She advanced from the Republican primary on May 20, 2025.

Santicola completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Michele Santicola was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She earned a high school diploma from Hempfield Area High School, a bachelor's degree from Duquesne University in 1992, and a law degree from the Dickinson School of Law in 1995. Her career experience includes working as an attorney and judge.

Elections

2025

See also: Municipal elections in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania (2025)

General election

General election for Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas (8 seats)

The following candidates are running in the general election for Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas on November 4, 2025.

		Candidate
		Heather Schmidt Bresnahan (D)
		Quita Bridges (D)
		Amanda Green-Hawkins (D)
		Jaime Hickton (D)
		Matthew Rudzki (D)
	Submit photo	Julie Capone (D / R)
	Submit photo	Anthony DeLuca (D / R)
		Dan Miller (D / R)
		Alyssa Cowan (R)
		Bryan Neft (R)
	Submit photo	Jackie Obara (R)
		Michele Santicola (R)
	Submit photo	Sarra Terry (R)

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	There are no incumbents in this race.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas (8 seats)

The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas on May 20, 2025.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Amanda Green-Hawkins	9.0	93,877
✔		Dan Miller	7.7	80,797
✔		Quita Bridges	7.7	80,713
✔	Submit photo	Julie Capone	7.5	78,093
✔	Submit photo	Anthony DeLuca	7.3	76,295
✔		Heather Schmidt Bresnahan	7.0	72,780
✔		Jaime Hickton	6.1	64,112
✔		Matthew Rudzki	5.5	57,354
		Alyssa Cowan	5.3	55,302
		Lauren Leiggi	4.1	42,586
	Submit photo	Amy Mathieu	3.7	38,708
		Michele Santicola	3.2	33,416
	Submit photo	Carmen Robinson	3.0	31,480
	Submit photo	Sarra Terry	2.9	30,439
		Bryan Neft	2.7	28,661
		Ilan Zur	2.7	28,566
	Submit photo	Craig Stephens	2.7	27,713
	Submit photo	Hilary Wheatley	2.6	27,488
		Mike Sullivan	2.6	27,277
	Submit photo	Elizabeth Hughes	2.5	26,114
	Submit photo	Jackie Obara	2.4	25,210
	Submit photo	Dennis Very	1.4	15,081
		Other/Write-in votes	0.1	1,437

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source 1 Source 2	Total votes: 1,043,499
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas (8 seats)

The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas on May 20, 2025.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Julie Capone	16.7	32,612
✔		Michele Santicola	16.0	31,361
✔	Submit photo	Jackie Obara	15.2	29,854
✔	Submit photo	Sarra Terry	14.1	27,547
✔		Dan Miller	12.4	24,289
✔		Alyssa Cowan	11.1	21,655
✔	Submit photo	Anthony DeLuca (Write-in)	3.3	6,397
✔		Bryan Neft (Write-in)	3.1	6,138
	Submit photo	Dennis Very (Write-in)	3.1	6,001
		Ilan Zur (Write-in)	3.0	5,792
		Other/Write-in votes	2.1	4,148

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source 1 Source 2	Total votes: 195,794
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Endorsements

Ballotpedia is gathering information about candidate endorsements. To send us an endorsement, click here.

Campaign themes

2025

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Michele Santicola completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Santicola's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I have 30 years' experience as an attorney. I was a Deputy Attorney General for nearly 10 years. In that role, I prosecuted cases in 23 counties in Western Pennsylvania. I then became a defense attorney, representing clients in various courts. I served as a Hearing Examiner for the Liquor Control Board for 4 years, ruling on issues regarding liquor licenses, and writing lengthy opinions supporting my findings. I served as a member of the Moon Township Board of Supervisors, helping to oversee a $16 million budget. I am currently a Magisterial District Judge and have presided over thousands of cases. I am the only candidate who has been a prosecutor, defense attorney and a Judge. I am HIGHLY RECOMMENDED by the Bar Association, the highest rating one can earn.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• I have the experience and qualifications necessary to serve in this important role. I have represented clients in civil and criminal matters. I have handled jury trials, bench trials, Grand Jury cases and appeals. I have ruled on issues of admissibility of evidence and credibility of witnesses. I have presided over thousands of cases. I am ready to serve.
• I have been HIGHLY RECOMMENDED by the Bar Association. The Bar describes this rating as follows: Exhibits preeminence in the law by way of outstanding ability and a wide range of experience...and has a reputation in the legal community as standing at the top of his or her profession; possesses the highest reputation for the utmost integrity and temperament to excel as a judge in the Court of Common Pleas; exhibits outstanding citizenship by way of community and professional contributions; and is an exceptional individual who will enhance or has enhanced the competency, dignity and public perception of the bench.
• I will always treat every person who comes into my courtroom with respect and give them an opportunity to be heard. I have been doing this for the past 5 years, and I pledge to continue doing so. Not every litigant will agree with the outcome of a case, but every person will feel like they had the opportunity to be fully heard and that I respected them and their position.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Fairness and justice. Judges must be fair and impartial. Judges must not let their personal beliefs or feelings enter the equation. Judges must interpret and uphold the law.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Honesty, integrity, compassion.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I am a hard worker. I am compassionate.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

As stated above, judges must be impartial and must interpret and uphold the law.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I hope I leave the profession and the world better than I found it. I hope I have a positive impact on many lives.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

Ronald Reagan being shot. I was 11 years old. I remember our teachers crying and whispering and telling us they couldn't talk about what was going on and to ask our parents when we got home. I remember being very scared because I had no idea what was going on.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

I had a car washing business at age 13. I went door to door in my neighborhood, soliciting business. I spent two summers earning spending money by washing cars. I did this because I was too young to get a job, and my family needed money. I was so proud of being able to help out.

Are there any little-known powers or responsibilities held by this office that you believe more people should be aware of?

Judges have wide discretion in sentencing defendants in criminal court and awarding custody in family court, which is why it is critically important to elect judges who have experience and are qualified.

Do you believe that empathy is an important quality for a judge?

Absolutely. I believe it is one of the most important qualities in a judge.

Have you ever been rated by a Bar Association? If so, what was the rating?

Highly Recommended.

Why are you running for this particular court seat?

I entered the race at this time because I feel I am ready. I have the experience and qualifications to do the job well. I feel as if I've made a positive impact on my community as a Magisterial District Judge, and I want to make a positive impact on the larger community.

Do you believe that Bar Association ratings are an accurate reflection of a judge’s ability?

Yes. The Bar Association takes great time and care to evaluate candidates and assign ratings. The application and interview process are rigorous, and the committee takes its job seriously/

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Allegheny Fayette Labor Council, SEIU Local 668, AFSCME, Pittsburgh Building Trades, Pittsburgh Laborers' Council, Pennsylvania State Police Lodge 47, Allegheny County and City of Pittsburgh FOP, Pittsburgh Firefighters. Teamsters, PSEA

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

See also

2025 Elections

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External links

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Candidate

Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas

Website

Footnotes

Pennsylvania courts

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Federal courts:

Third Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Middle District of Pennsylvania, Western District of Pennsylvania • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Middle District of Pennsylvania, Western District of Pennsylvania

State courts:

Supreme Court of Pennsylvania • Pennsylvania Superior Court • Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court • Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas • Pennsylvania Magisterial Districts

State resources:

Courts in Pennsylvania • Pennsylvania judicial elections • Judicial selection in Pennsylvania