Pennsylvania local trial court judicial elections, 2025
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 Trial court elections |
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- Main articles: State judicial elections, 2025 and Local trial court judicial elections, 2025
Ballotpedia provides comprehensive coverage of elections in America's 100 largest cities by population. This coverage extends to every office on the ballot for residents of these cities, including local trial court judges. In 2025, Ballotpedia is covering the following local elections in this state:
- Harrisburg, Pennsylvania - Mayor and city council
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - District attorney, city controller, court of common pleas judges, and municipal court judges
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania - Mayor, city council, and magisterial district judge
- Allegheny County, Pennsylvania - Sheriff, county council, county council (special), and court of common pleas judges
If the above list includes local trial court judgeships, click the links for more information about the elections. Click here to learn more about how the judges in this state are selected. Ballotpedia does not cover all local trial court judicial elections in this state. If the above list does not include your place of residence, contact your local election office for more information about trial court judicial elections on your ballot. Please consider donating to Ballotpedia to help us expand our coverage of these elections.
Election rules
Primary election
Though the state holds partisan elections, most candidates cross-file with the major political parties. If a candidate wins both the Republican and Democratic primary, he or she runs unopposed in the general election.
Retention election
All judges except those of the magisterial districts face retention elections following their initial term. After a judge has won an initial partisan election, subsequent terms are attained through retention elections. In retention elections, judges do not compete against another candidate, but voters are given a "yes" or "no" choice whether to keep the justice in office for another term. If the candidate receives more yes votes than no votes, he or she is successfully retained. If not, the candidate is not retained, and there will be a vacancy in that court upon the expiration of that term. This applies to all judges except magisterial district judges, who are always elected in partisan elections.[1][2]
Additional elections
- See also: Pennsylvania elections, 2025
See also
| Local courts | Pennsylvania | Other local coverage |
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Footnotes
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
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