Pennsylvania intermediate appellate court elections, 2021

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The terms of four Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court and two Pennsylvania Superior Court judges expired on January 3, 2022. Additionally, one seat on the Pennsylvania Superior Court was vacant. A full term on both courts is 10 years.

Three seats were up for partisan election on November 2, 2021. Primary elections took place for those seats on May 18, 2021.

Commonwealth Court judges Anne Covey, Mary Hannah Leavitt, and Renee Cohn Jubelirer and Superior Court judges John Bender and Mary Jane Bowes had to stand for retention election on November 2, 2021, to remain on the bench. The filing deadline for judges seeking retention was January 4, 2021. Leavitt did not file for retention.

Candidates and election results

Superior court

Candidates and results

The terms of two Pennsylvania Superior Court judges expired on January 3, 2022. Additionally, one seat was vacant.

Peikes Gantman's seat

General election candidates

• Timika Lane  (Democratic Party) 
• Megan Sullivan  (Republican Party) ✔ 

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= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
 Democratic primary candidates

• Jill Beck
• Timika Lane ✔ 
• Bryan Neft 

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= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
 Republican primary candidates

• Megan Sullivan ✔ 

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= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

Bender's seat

General election candidates

• John T. Bender  (Incumbent) (Nonpartisan) ✔

Bowes' seat

General election candidates

• Mary Jane Bowes  (Incumbent) (Nonpartisan) ✔

Democratic primary overview

Lane, a Philadelphia Common Pleas judge, previously worked as a public defender. She said, "I am the only judge running. I am the only one with experience on both sides of the aisle. ... Eleven of the 14 judges on Superior Court, they were all judges first."

Beck, an attorney in Pittsburgh, worked in the Allegheny County family court system. She also clerked for Justice Christine Donahue in the state superior and supreme courts. Beck said, "I have represented some of the most vulnerable members of our population, largely dedicating my career to helping the underserved."

Neft, an attorney with a background in commercial litigation, clerked for Superior Court Judge William Cercone and was president of the Allegheny County Bar Association. He said, "In addition to my 30 years of experience, which is a broader-based experience than the other two candidates that are running, I come with a lot of Democratic values."

Beck's endorsers included state Senate Minority Leader Jay Costa (D) and several unions, including the United Mine Workers of America and the United Steelworkers. Lane's endorsers included U.S. Reps. Dwight Evans (D-Penn.) and Susan Wild (D-Penn.), the Working Families Party, and several unions, including the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO. State Rep. Anita Astorino Kulik (D) endorsed Neft.

According to Centre Daily Times, "A large number of appeals flow to the Superior Court from the trial courts. ... The court often is the final arbiter of legal disputes. Although the Supreme Court may grant a petition for review of a Superior Court decision, most petitions are denied, and the ruling of the Superior Court stands."

Endorsements

Endorsements lists from Democratic candidate websites, where available as of May 11, are linked below.

• Jill Beck
• Timika Lane

All three Democratic candidates received recommended ratings from the Pennsylvania Bar Association.

Forums and interviews

An April 6 forum co-sponsored by the Pennsylvanians for Modern Courts, the Pennsylvania Bar Association, the Philadelphia Bar Association, the Allegheny County Bar Association, and the League of Women Voters PA is below.

PA Superior Court Candidates Forum - April 6, 2021

Click here to watch candidate interviews from PCNTV.

Commonwealth court

Candidates and results

The terms of four Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court judges expired on January 3, 2022.

Partisan election

Crompton's seat and Leavitt vacancy

General election candidates

• Andrew Crompton  (Incumbent) (Republican Party) 
• Lori A. Dumas  (Democratic Party) ✔
• David Spurgeon  (Democratic Party)
• Stacy Wallace  (Republican Party) ✔ 

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= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
 Democratic primary candidates

• Lori A. Dumas ✔
• Amanda Green-Hawkins
• David Spurgeon ✔
• Sierra Thomas Street

 Republican primary candidates

• Andrew Crompton (Incumbent) ✔ 
• Stacy Wallace ✔ 

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= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

Retention election

Covey's seat

General election candidates

• Anne Covey  (Incumbent) (Nonpartisan) ✔

Jubelirer's seat

General election candidates

• Renée Cohn Jubelirer  (Incumbent) (Nonpartisan) ✔

Judges not on the ballot

• Mary Hannah Leavitt (R)

Selection

See also: Judicial selection in Pennsylvania

Qualifications

To serve on the Superior Court, a judge must be:

• a resident of the state for at least one year;
• a member of the state bar; and
• under the age of 75.

To serve on the Commonwealth Court, a judge must be:

• a resident of the state for at least one year;
• a member of the state bar; and
• under the age of 75.

Superior Court

Judges of the superior court are chosen in partisan elections to 10-year terms. After serving an initial 10-year term, a judge is then subject to a retention election. If an interim vacancy occurs on the court, it is filled via gubernatorial appointment, and two-thirds of the Pennsylvania Senate must agree with that appointment. Judges of the court who are appointed in this interim fashion are required to run for a full 10-year term at the next municipal election that is scheduled at least 10 months after the vacancy occurred or the original term of the judge who left the court expires. However, it is a tradition in Pennsylvania that interim superior court judges do not go on to run for permanent seats; in other words, the governor appoints judges with the expectation that the judge will only fill the interim vacancy, not a permanent seat.

Commonwealth Court

Judges of the Commonwealth Court are chosen in partisan elections to 10-year terms. After serving an initial 10-year term, a judge is then subject to a retention election. If an interim vacancy occurs on the court, it is filled via gubernatorial appointment, and two-thirds of the Pennsylvania Senate must agree with that appointment. Judges of the court who are appointed in this interim fashion are required to run for a full 10-year term at the next municipal election that is scheduled at least 10 months after the vacancy occurred or the original term of the judge who left the court expires. However, it is a tradition in Pennsylvania that judges who are appointed as interim judges to the Commonwealth Court do not go on to run for permanent seats; in other words, the governor appoints judges where it is the expectation of both the governor and the judge that the judge will only fill the interim vacancy, not a permanent seat.

For details about Pennsylvania's judicial elections, visit the Pennsylvania judicial elections page.

Salary

The annual salary for intermediate appellate court judges in Pennsylvania has been $191,926 since 2014. The chief justice earns somewhat more.

Past elections

2019

See also: Pennsylvania intermediate appellate court elections, 2019

Candidates and results

The terms of two judges on the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court were set to expire in January 2020. They had to stand for election on November 5, 2019, in order to remain on the bench. A primary was scheduled for May 21, 2019. The filing deadline was March 12, 2019.

Retention election

Brobson's seat

• Kevin Brobson (Nonpartisan)

McCullough's seat

• Patricia McCullough (Nonpartisan)

Candidates and results

The terms of three judges on the Pennsylvania Superior Court were set to expire in January 2020. They had to stand for retention election on November 5, 2019, in order to remain on the bench. One judge chose not to stand for retention.

Lazarus' seat

• Anne Lazarus

Olson's seat

• Judith F. Olson

Ott's seat

The following candidates ran for two open seats:

General election candidates

• Amanda Green-Hawkins  (Democratic Party)
• Daniel D. McCaffery  (Democratic Party) ✔
• Megan McCarthy King  (Republican Party) ✔
• Christylee Peck  (Republican Party) 

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= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
 Democratic primary candidates

• Amanda Green-Hawkins ✔
• Daniel D. McCaffery ✔
• Beth Tarasi Sinatra 

Did not make the ballot:

• Ryan James

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= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey
 Republican primary candidates

• Megan McCarthy King ✔
• Christylee Peck ✔ 
• Rebecca L. Warren

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= candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey

Judges not on the ballot

• Paula Ott (R)

2017

See also: Pennsylvania judicial elections, 2017

Partisan election, two seats

One of the two incumbents, Julia Hearthway, did not file to run in the election.

■ Joseph M. Cosgrove (Incumbent)
■ Todd Eagen
■ Ellen H. Ceisler
■ Bryan Barbin
■ W. Timothy Barry
■ Irene McLaughlin Clark
■ Christine F. Cannon
■ Paul Lalley

Superior Court retention election

■ Jacqueline Shogan

Superior Court partisan election

Two of the three incumbents, Lillian Harris Ransom and Carl Solano, did not file to run in the election.

■ H. Geoffrey Moulton Jr. (Incumbent)
■ Carolyn H. Nichols
■ Maria McLaughlin
■ Deborah A. Kunselman
■ Craig Stedman
■ Wade Kagarise
■ Emil A. Giordano
■ Mary P. Murray
■ Jules Mermelstein

2015

Commonwealth Court election

Todd Eagen faced Michael Wojcik in the Democratic primary.

Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court, One seat, Democratic Primary, 2015
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Michael Wojcik	55.4%	342,813
Todd Eagen	44.6%	275,581
Write-in votes	0%	0
Total Votes		618,394
Source: Pennsylvania Department of State, "2015 Municipal Primary Unofficial Results," May 19, 2015

Michael Wojcik faced Paul Lalley in the general election.

Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court, One seat, General Election, 2015
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Michael Wojcik	52.8%	1,050,003
	Republican	Paul Lalley	47.2%	938,393
		Write-in votes	0%	0
Total Votes				1,988,396
Source: Pennsylvania Department of State, "Unofficial General Election Results," November 3, 2015

Paul Lalley was unopposed in the Republican primary.

Superior Court election

Alice B. Dubow faced Emil A. Giordano in the general election.

Pennsylvania Superior Court, One seat, General Election, 2015
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Alice B. Dubow	53.1%	1,047,920
	Republican	Emil A. Giordano	46.9%	924,964
		Write-in votes	0%	0
Total Votes				1,972,884
Source: Pennsylvania Department of State, "Unofficial General Election Results," November 3, 2015

Robert J. Colville faced Alice B. Dubow in the Democratic primary.

Pennsylvania Superior Court, One seat, Democratic Primary, 2015
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Alice B. Dubow	57.7%	376,748
Robert J. Colville	42.3%	276,330
Write-in votes	0%	0
Total Votes		653,078
Source: Pennsylvania Department of State, "2015 Municipal Primary Unofficial Results," May 19, 2015

Emil A. Giordano was unopposed in the Republican primary.

2013

See also: Pennsylvania judicial elections, 2013

Superior Court election

Retention

Judge	Retention vote	Retention Vote %
GantmanSusan Peikes Gantman   A		69.4%A
PanellaJack Panella   A		69.2%A

Seat 1

Candidate	Incumbency	Party	Primary Vote	Election Vote
StabileVic StabileA	No	Republican	100%A	51.5%   A
McVay, Jr.Jack McVay Jr.	No		55.4%A	48.5%   A
WydaRobert C. Wyda	No	Republican	Withdrew%
Waters, Jr.Joseph C. Waters, Jr.	No	Democratic	44.6%

2011

See also: Pennsylvania judicial elections, 2011

Commonwealth Court election

The following is a list of candidates for the Commonwealth Court 2011 election:

Candidate	Incumbency	District	Primary Vote	Election Vote
Paul P. Panepinto
Kathryn Boockvar
ErnsbergerBarbara Ernsberger	No		49.8%
CoveyAnne Covey
LeavittMary Hannah Leavitt   A	Yes			A
SimpsonRobert Simpson   A	Yes			A
Cohn JubelirerRenee Cohn Jubelirer   A	Yes	Retention election		A

See also: Judicial selection in Pennsylvania

Superior Court election

The following is a list of candidates for the Superior Court 2011 election:

Candidate	Incumbency	District	Primary Vote	Election Vote
PatrickPaula A. Patrick	No		34.6%
StabileVic Stabile	No		65.4%	45.4%   A
WechtDavid N. Wecht
BowesMary Jane Bowes   A	Yes			A
BenderJohn Bender   A	Yes			A

See also

Pennsylvania	Judicial Selection	More Courts
Courts in Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court Pennsylvania Superior Court Pennsylvania Supreme Court	Elections: 2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 Gubernatorial appointments Judicial selection in Pennsylvania	Federal courts State courts Local courts

External links

Suggest a link

• Search Google News for this topic
• Pennsylvania Superior Court
• Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court

Footnotes

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