Pat Wandling: The race is on
Summer is more than half over and that means campaigning for the November 4 general election is well underway. This year, we’ll be voting for Bucks County judges and row officers — and for municipal councilpersons, supervisors, mayors, tax collectors, and school directors.
These contests from Upper Bucks to the Delaware riverfront communities are important in their direct effect on citizens. Unfortunately, voters seem to be less enthusiastic about local or municipal elections unless there’s a hot-button issue like changing tax rates, new school construction, or sanctuary city declaration.
But let’s take a look at one countywide race that has eight nominees vying for four judgeships in the Court of Common Pleas, each with a ten-year term. Three Democratic and three Republican nominees cross-filed in the spring primary election, meaning they filed petitions on both the Democratic and Republican primary ballots. Conceivably, a cross-filing candidate could win on both sides, though none did this time.
We should note that both judicial and school board candidates in Pennsylvania may cross-file, an action which was intended to take those positions out of the political milieu and into a nonpartisan category. Regardless of the intent of the law, all eight eventual nominees were affiliated, selected, and supported by a political party in the spring and will be running on the party ticket in November. Judicial candidates are initially elected in partisan contests and thereafter may seek retention through a yes-no vote.
I’ve never been a fan of cross-filing because it seems to be a way to skirt the actual partisanship of the election, and furthermore because it’s confusing to primary voters who may know little about a judicial or school board candidate’s credentials and views. Party affiliation gives voters some insight, at least; most would tend to vote for someone connected to their own party who shares that party’s ideals.
The argument for cross-filing is that it removes the political affiliation of judges and school board candidates from consideration, inasmuch as those officeholders are supposed to be impartial, and certainly nonpartisan, in their future decision-making.
Also, cross-filing could result in a candidate getting the most votes on the opposite party ballot, or winning on both ballots in the primary – thus winning the general five months before it happens. For those reasons and others, opponents of primary cross-filing continue to fight for its abolition in Pennsylvania, unsuccessfully.
Consider the voter confusion issue: I’ve encountered people at the polls asking for a recommendation from a friend or a party committeeperson regarding judges in particular, especially in the most recent primary.
Nevertheless, the pre-primary process begins with politics. Candidates are encouraged to get the support of their respective political parties if they want to run and have a good chance at winning, so they submit to party vetting. Some come away from committee screenings with a party endorsement. That forces judge and school board hopefuls into the political arena.
Voters have a unique opportunity in November to elect four new judges in Bucks County. Both political parties are hoping to overcome the usual light voter turnout in this “off-year election” to shore up their efforts to elect their judges and row officers.
Six women and two men now seek the four open seats on the fifteen-judge Bucks County Court of Common Pleas, a court that handles all criminal, civil, family, and orphan’s (probate) matters.
This year’s Democratic nominees are Linda Bobrin of Newtown Township, Dawn DiDonato Burke of Lower Makefield, Tiffany Thomas-Smith of Lower Makefield, and Amy Fitzpatrick of Northampton, no relation to Republican Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick.
They face Republican nominees Grace Deon of Northampton, Chelsey Crocker Jackman of Buckingham, Joseph Pizzo of Bensalem, and Colin Monahan of East Rockhill.
In the interim, it’s advisable for voters to gather as much information on the candidates as they can, judicial and school board included. Learn more! Meet them at forums and public events if you can! For my part, I’m interviewing any and all candidates for Bucks County judge on Speak Your Piece which runs on WBCB 1490 from noon to1 p.m. weekdays. Tune in.
Pat Wandling hosts Speak Your Piece weekdays at noon on WBCB 1490.
