Xander Orenstein

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Xander Orenstein

Democratic Party

Allegheny County Magisterial District Court 05-3-10

Tenure

2022 - Present

Term ends

2028

Years in position

3

Predecessor

Anthony M. Ceoffe

Report an officeholder change

Elections and appointments

Last elected

November 2, 2021

Education

Bachelor's

Carnegie Mellon University, 2014

Graduate

Johns Hopkins University, 2019

Personal

Birthplace

Maryland

Religion

Jewish

Profession

Chemist

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Twitter

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Xander Orenstein (Democratic Party) is a judge for District Court 05-3-10 of the Allegheny County Magisterial District Court in Pennsylvania. Orenstein assumed office on January 3, 2022. Orenstein's current term ends on January 3, 2028.

Orenstein (Democratic Party) ran for election for the District Court 05-3-10 judge of the Allegheny County Magisterial District Court in Pennsylvania. Orenstein won in the general election on November 2, 2021.

Orenstein completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2021. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Xander Orenstein was born in Maryland. They earned a bachelor’s degree from Carnegie Mellon University in 2014 and a graduate degree from Johns Hopkins University in 2019. Their career experience includes working as a drug development chemist at a startup. Orenstein has been affiliated with the Pittsburgh Union of Regional Renters.

Elections

2021

See also: City elections in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (2021)

General election

General election for Allegheny County Magisterial District Court 05-3-10

Xander Orenstein won election in the general election for Allegheny County Magisterial District Court 05-3-10 on November 2, 2021.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Xander Orenstein (D)	95.4	2,332
		Other/Write-in votes	4.6	113

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 2,445
= 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.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Anthony M. Ceoffe (R)

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Allegheny County Magisterial District Court 05-3-10

Xander Orenstein defeated incumbent Anthony M. Ceoffe in the Democratic primary for Allegheny County Magisterial District Court 05-3-10 on May 18, 2021.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Xander Orenstein	50.7	1,252
	Submit photo	Anthony M. Ceoffe	49.1	1,212
		Other/Write-in votes	0.2	5

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 2,469
= 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 Magisterial District Court 05-3-10

Incumbent Anthony M. Ceoffe advanced from the Republican primary for Allegheny County Magisterial District Court 05-3-10 on May 18, 2021.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Anthony M. Ceoffe	95.7	110
		Other/Write-in votes	4.3	5

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 115
= 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

To view Orenstein's endorsements in the 2021 election, please click here.

Campaign themes

2021

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Xander Orenstein completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2021. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Orenstein'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 am a non-binary Jewish scientist and housing organizer running for Magistrate in Pittsburgh, PA on a platform of justice, fairness, and equity.

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?

• The judiciary must actively work to be impartial and fair.
• The judiciary has a responsibility to the community it serves.
• The judiciary should consider restorative and reparative justice solutions whenever possible.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am extremely interested in housing, environmental, criminal, and drug policies.

What qualities does this office possess that makes it a unique and important part of the state government and legal system?

As the lowest rung of the judiciary, the magisterial court is often the first point of contact that community members have with the criminal legal system. Therefore, it is really important that the Magistrate actively seeks out the input of the community, surveys their needs, and has a vested commitment to the well-being, safety, and health of all community members. This office has the opportunity to feed directly into the carceral system or to seek restorative, reparative, and creative solutions to community conflict and harm.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

I know this is a very cheesily Pittsburgh answer, but I really look to Mr. Fred Rodgers' philosophies and approaches to building community. He always worked to see and highlight the best in people and is a prime example of someone who truly led by example. He taught that through kindness, compassion, and community that we can live our happiest, fullest lives,

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

I have published a reading list on my website at https://www.xander4mdj.com/reading

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

Empathy. Being able to actively listen to others and truly understand where they are coming from, we can set our ego aside and know what is truly needed to help others.

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

I have near-infinite patience, and it is nearly impossible to get a rise out of me. Becoming angry and acting on it is an entirely counterproductive use of time. As Magistrate Judge, these traits will make me successful, as I will be able to rule fairly and impartially in all cases.

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

I remember my parents talking about the Oklahoma City bombing. I was three years old at the time and they had to explain to me what “terrorism” was.

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

My first job was at my synagogue, administering Youth Services that took place on Saturdays. This was my job for two and a half years -- from 10th through 12th grade.

What is your favorite book? Why?

While it is not my favorite book, the most important book I have read in the past few years is The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander. No other book has had such a powerful effect on me, as I saw for the first time how the very structure of our system is built to harm and the ease at which it does so. It opened my eyes to the ways in which small acts of mercy by powerful people can have a massive ripple effect into the community, and how if there is someone making deliberate choices to put good into the system, it can be all the more transformative.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

The Stephen Universe theme song.

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

While many may know that magistrates assign bail, oversee evictions, and rule in small claims cases, it's not always apparent that magistrates also hear cases that involve building code violations, which can have a direct impact on the environment, local emissions, and the climate crisis.

What kind of skills or expertise do you believe would be the most helpful for the holders of this office to possess?

The skills that I plan to draw on most in this role are empathy and patience. The ability to understand where people are coming from while maintaining calm through emotional conflicts or the monotony of a workday is equally important as not becoming hardened or bitter from the realities of the legal system. It's important to be able to maintain the sense of urgency and importance that each case deserves because it would be extremely detrimental to the community to have a magistrate who just sees each case as a checklist to rush through.

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

2021 Elections

What's on the ballot? U.S. Congress special elections State executives State legislatures State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards Election analysis hub

Government

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External links

• Allegheny County Magisterial District Court

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Candidate

Allegheny County Magisterial District Court 05-3-10

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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