Only “Highly Recommended” and “Recommended” candidates by the Philadelphia Bar Association’s Commission on Judicial Selection and Retention won positions on the November ballot for the Court of Common Pleas and Philadelphia Municipal Court. In addition, all judicial candidates for the Court of Common Pleas who were rated “Highly Recommended” will be on the ballot in November’s general election.
The Commission, which is made up of judges, lawyers and community leaders, conducts a thorough, nonpartisan review of Philadelphia-based judicial candidates’ qualifications before issuing a rating derived from criteria including legal ability, experience, integrity, temperament, community involvement and judgment.
“These results reflect hundreds of hours of work by our Judicial Commission, and its investigative volunteers, and by the Campaign for Qualified Judges. They also demonstrate the high level of trust that candidates and voters alike have in our rigorous, nonpartisan ratings process,” said Philadelphia Bar Association Chancellor Marc J. Zucker. “We were particularly gratified that the Democratic City Committee this year endorsed only candidates who were rated either ‘Highly Recommended’ or ‘Recommended’ by the Judicial Commission.”
This is the third election year in a row that only “Highly Recommended” and “Recommended” candidates won spots on the November ballot for the Court of Common Pleas. In addition, “Highly Recommended” candidates Chesley A. Lightsey, Hon. John R. Padova, Jr., Natasha Taylor-Smith, and Kay Yu all placed in the top six in terms of votes received. “Recommended” candidates earning spots on the November ballot for Common Pleas are Damaris L. Garcia, Hon. Brian McLaughlin, Caroline Turner, Hon. Tamika Washington, and Samantha Williams. Only “Recommended” candidates were in position to win the remaining spot. “Recommended” Municipal Court candidates Barbara Thomson and Colleen McIntyre Osborne won ballot positions in November’s general election.
“Judges hold their positions for at least 10 years; for many, it becomes a lifetime appointment because they continue to be retained in subsequent elections. The rulings they make are consequential to individuals, but also potentially to all Pennsylvanians,” Zucker said. “Judicial elections directly affect the quality of the judicial system in which so many of us devote most of our time, and I am grateful for the amazing work that our volunteers have done to ensure that system’s continued excellence.”
The following “Highly Recommended” candidates won spots on the November ballot for seats on statewide appellate courts: Hon. Daniel D. McCaffery for Supreme Court and Hon. Timika Lane for Superior Court. “Recommended” candidate Hon. Matthew Wolf won a spot on the November ballot for Commonwealth Court.
“The Commission and its volunteers have been working diligently since last fall to complete the ratings process for dozens of candidates for judicial office. Our volunteers are committed to this significant undertaking. They willingly give up time that could be filled with billable hours or spending time with family and friends, because they believe it is critically important to elect highly qualified candidates to the bench,” said JP Faunes, chair of the Judicial Commission. “The Commission’s tireless work will continue this spring, evaluating judges who are running for retention.”
The Campaign for Qualified Judges mounted a comprehensive voter education campaign to publicize the recommendations, including sending two targeted direct mailings to more than 31,000 Philadelphia voters. For the first time since 2019, volunteers worked at the polls on Election Day, handing out information about the judicial ratings directly to voters.
“These results debunk the idea that the election of judges in Philadelphia is solely a function of ballot position. Voters care about the candidates’ backgrounds and professional experience, and want to make an informed choice,” said Matt Olesh, chair of the Campaign for Qualified Judges. “We would like to thank all the wards and community groups that invited us to speak about our ratings and process, and the volunteers who handed out information about our ratings on Election Day for their dedication to putting qualified candidates on the November ballot.”
