Voting Guide for the May 2013 Primary Election in Pittsburgh, Allegheny County

I spend a lot of time before each election researching all the candidates on the ballot. It’s often hard to find good information on candidates for the less politicized down-ticket races, so this can be quite a chore. I realize that not everyone has time to do this, so this year I created a voting guide as a public service to my fellow voters in Allegheny County.

A caveat: this voting guide is explicitly skewed toward my own political inclinations. I am a registered Democrat, so I focus specifically on the Democratic primary. (However, Republicans may find useful information on Court of Common Pleas candidates, as many of the candidates for the Court of Common Pleas cross-filed to appear on both party ballots; indeed, all the Republican candidates are also Democratic candidates.) I am also quite liberal, and this guide reflects my ideology. Nonetheless, I have tried to create a guide that will be useful to those of different political persuasions as well.

The first part of this guide is a short list of my suggestions of whom to vote for, with brief explanations of why I am voting for them. If your voting criteria and political orientation are similar to mine, this may be sufficient for you. The second part of the guide contains more-detailed profiles of the candidates. This will, I hope, be useful for other voters—regardless of political orientation—who are attempting to find good comparative information on the candidates.

If you notice any factual inaccuracies or other problems, please let me know.

How to Vote

For general information on voting, see the Department of State’s voter information site. Here are some important deadlines:

Last day to register to vote: Monday, April 22, 2013 (postmark deadline)
Last day to request an absentee ballot: Tuesday, May 14, 2013 (the county must receive your application by 5pm)
Absentee ballots due: Friday, May 17, 2013 (the county must receive your ballot by 5pm)
Election day: Tuesday, May 21, 2013 (polls open 7am–8pm)

To find your polling place and view a sample ballot, access the county voter registration database.

Page History

Thursday, April 11, 2013

Created.

Saturday, April 13, 2013

Court of Common Pleas candidate Rosemary Crawford has received a “Highly Recommended” rating from the Allegheny County Bar Association. I now have bar ratings for all sixteen judicial candidates. (For what it’s worth, I think Crawford would be my fifth-favorite Court of Common Pleas candidate if I were to choose one, so if you don’t like one of the four candidates I picked, consider Crawford as an alternative.)

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

The Allegheny County Elections Division has posted sample ballots for this election. If you are a registered Allegheny County voter, you can access the county voter registration database to get a sample ballot for either party. I strongly recommend this, as you may learn about minor elections you weren’t aware of. (I learned of a school director election for my district that I didn’t know about.)

Also, Court of Common Pleas candidate Dan Regan has withdrawn from the race and will not appear on the ballot. I have removed his profile below.

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Added endorsements from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and the Gertrude Stein Club.

Friday, May 10, 2013

Added additional Pittsburgh Post-Gazette endorsements (for mayor and Superior Court).

About Me

My name is Jeffrey Barnes, and I am a PhD student in software engineering at Carnegie Mellon University. You can find my student website here. I have lived in Pittsburgh for about six years. I have no particular political expertise and am not involved in the Pittsburgh political scene, so take this page with a grain of salt. I’m just some person with an Internet connection; I have not met any of the candidates personally and have no special insight into them, so it’s best to consider this page in context with other sources of information.

Of course, everything on this page is only my own personal opinion. This page is in no way representative of Carnegie Mellon University.

My Picks

Candidates are listed here in alphabetical order, but your ballot will likely be different. Please vote carefully.

Mayor, City of Pittsburgh: William “Bill” Peduto — Long a prominent voice on the city council, he has a progressive record, a very concrete policy vision, and the political acumen and experience to realize that vision.; Abdula Jamal “AJ” Richardson — Not a serious candidate.; Jack E. Wagner — A competent candidate with significant political experience and a generally agreeable platform, but not nearly as specific in his plans as Peduto, nor as consistently progressive.; Jake Wheatley, Jr. — Long-shot candidate with a vague platform and no clear advantage over front-runners Peduto and Wagner.
Judge, Superior Court of Pennsylvania: John T. “Jack” McVay, Jr. — Has a distinguished record as a judge on the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas and is broadly recognized for his legal acumen.; Joseph C. Waters, Jr. — Only judicial experience is four years as a municipal court judge.
Judge, Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas (pick four): Eleanor Bush — Very strong legal background and a recognized expert in her field. She has dedicated her career to public service, working on behalf of children and families. “Highly Recommended” by the county bar association.; Patrick Connelly — A strong candidate with extensive trial experience, but not one of the top four.; Marcia L. Cooper — Well qualified, with extensive experience in private practice as well as more recent nonprofit work. “Highly Recommended” by the county bar association.; Paul E. Cozza — An incumbent of sorts, he was appointed to fill a vacancy on the Court of Common Pleas and is now running for a full term. He appears to be a competent jurist and would likely continue to serve ably.; Rosemary Crawford — A very strong candidate with extensive trial experience and a “Highly Recommended” bar rating, but doesn’t quite make my top four.; Marc Daffner — “Not Recommended” by the Allegheny County Bar Association.; Barbara Behrend Ernsberger — Not a particularly strong candidate relative to the many excellent candidates on the ballot.; Marvin Leibowitz — “Not Recommended” by the Allegheny County Bar Association.; Joseph V. “Joe” Luvara — The only candidate to receive the lowest possible rating from the Allegheny County Bar Association: “Unqualified.”; Philip J. “PJ” Murray, III — A solid candidate, but not one of the top four.; Jennifer Satler — “Not Recommended” by the Allegheny County Bar Association.; Mark V. Tranquilli — As assistant district attorney for Allegheny County, Tranquilli has been in the spotlight prosecuting a number of high-profile cases. He is well regarded and seems to be highly qualified. “Highly Recommended” by the county bar association.; William F. “Bill” Ward — Was Republican Governor Tom Corbett’s chief of staff until Corbett appointed him to fill a court vacancy, prompting accusations of cronyism.

Candidate Profiles

Mayor, City of Pittsburgh

The mayoral election is certainly the most heavily politicized one on the ballot, and information and opinions on the four mayoral candidates are much easier to come by than information and opinions on the judicial candidates. If you’re reading this guide, there’s a good chance you’re already at least somewhat familiar with the candidates. Nonetheless, having this information in one place may be useful.

Here are a couple of videos of recent debates among the candidates:

William “Bill” Peduto

Age: 48
Highest degree: Master of Public Policy and Management, University of Pittsburgh
Campaign website: billpeduto.com
Notable experience: Council member, City of Pittsburgh, 2002–present; Chief of staff for Pittsburgh Council Member Dan Cohen, 1995–2002; Private political consultant, 1989–2000
Steel City Stonewall Democrats questionnaire: steel-city.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Bill-Peduto.pdf
Notable endorsements: Steel City Stonewall Democrats; Gertrude Stein Political Club; CeaseFirePA; Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers
Issues: See “Issues” section below

Peduto has been one of the most prominent voices on the city council for quite some time. You probably have some sense of who he is and what he stands for even if (like me) you don’t follow city council politics closely. Peduto understands the challenges Pittsburgh faces and is intimately familiar with the current political landscape due to his long tenure on the city council. At the same time, he can also fairly cast himself as a bit of an outsider, as he has repeatedly clashed with Mayor Luke Ravenstahl.

Peduto’s campaign has been commendably issues-focused; on his campaign website, he is laying out 100 concrete policies to improve Pittsburgh, from implementing the lost-gun-reporting law he passed as a council member (which was never signed by Ravenstahl) to building a passenger railway connecting Lawrenceville, Shadyside, Oakland, and Hazelwood to modernizing and equalizing the system for choosing which streets to repave.

I believe Peduto is the best choice for mayor due to his consistently progressive positions, his concrete ideas for improving Pittsburgh, and his experience in navigating the city’s political landscape.

Abdula Jamal “AJ” Richardson

Age: 36
Campaign website: voteajrichardson.com (warning: autoplaying music)
Notable experience: Currently employed as a bus monitor; Also runs an online ministry
Issues: See “Issues” section below

This guy is a terrible candidate. He was recently arrested on a DUI charge when police found him slumped inside a damaged vehicle. His initial comment was: “I was not intoxicated. That’s all I’ll say.” A few hours later, he amended his story: “I had some drinks, a few drinks. I’m not going to get into the semantics of sobriety levels.”

His candidate website makes frequent reference to his faith in God, and he has stated that he believes God called him to run for mayor and is guiding his progress. I have little confidence in his understanding of church-state separation.

A core plank of his platform is Project X, whereby a white “X” will be drawn on the sidewalk in any neighborhood that has drug activity. “When a community sees the ‘X’, they will know to be cautious because that location has drug activity taking place,” Richardson’s website explains. Once the drug problem is resolved, Richardson vows to personally remove the “X.” There may be one or two flaws with this plan.

Jack E. Wagner

Age: 65
Highest degree: Bachelor’s in safety management, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, 1974
Campaign website: jackwagner.org
Notable experience: Auditor General of Pennsylvania, 2005–2012; Pennsylvania state senator, 1994–2004; Council member, City of Pittsburgh, 1984–1994
Steel City Stonewall Democrats questionnaire: steel-city.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Jack-Wagner.pdf
Notable endorsements: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette; Fraternal Order of Police Lodge No. 1; International Association of Fire Fighters Local 1
Issues: See “Issues” section below

Wagner is a competent candidate with significant political experience and a generally agreeable platform. However, he is not nearly as specific in his plans as Peduto. In addition, he has a significant history of social conservatism; as a city council member, he opposed adding sexual orientation to Pittsburgh’s antidiscrimination law, sponsored a resolution declaring a “Respect Life Week,” and opposed an initiative to diversify the Fire Bureau because he was concerned that it would be unfair to men (at the time, the city had exactly one woman firefighter).

Jake Wheatley, Jr.

Age: 41
Highest degree: Master’s in Public Administration, University of Pittsburgh
Campaign website: wheatleyformayor.com
Notable experience: Pennsylvania state representative, 2002–present; Legislative aide to Pittsburgh Council Member Sala Udin, 1998–2000
Stonewall Democrats questionnaire (2010): stonewalldemocrats.org/steel-city/node/1028
Issues: See “Issues” section below

Wheatley is a long-shot candidate (though not as much of a long shot as Richardson), with 4 percent in recent polling. He has apparently served satisfactorily as a state representative, but he is not nearly as high-profile a candidate as Peduto or Wagner. I see no strong reason to prefer Wheatley over either Peduto or Wagner.

This guy also seems like he may be a bit of a jerk in private life. He was recently arrested for assaulting his fiancée. This was not his first brush with the law; in 1992, he pleaded guilty to felony charges of larceny and assault and battery, although the record was expunged and he subsequently led an exemplary life until the incident with his fiancée last year.

Issues

This is not intended to be an exhaustive summary of the four candidates’ platforms, but rather a head-to-head comparison on some topics that I consider important.

Public Transit

Peduto	Supports a number of innovative additions, including a circulator service serving the South Side, Oakland, East Liberty, and Lawrenceville; a passenger railway connecting Lawrenceville, Shadyside, Oakland, and Hazelwood; a river ferry system connecting neighborhoods that could be used by commuters; and a southwestern Pennsylvania regional transit authority analogous to SEPTA in the Philadelphia area.
Richardson	No stated position.
Wagner	Pledges to use his relationships in Harrisburg to restore Pittsburgh mass transit funding as a permanent line item in the state budget. Advocates restoring closed transit routes in the urban core and connecting existing downtown rail service with Oakland and the East End.
Wheatley	Support expansion of public transit, but does not have a concrete platform.

Environmental Issues

Peduto	Advocates implementation of clean air and water laws, energy benchmarking to reduce city energy use, promoting recycling of construction materials, standardizing solar panel regulations across jurisdictions to encourage use of solar power, and incentivizing green roofs.
Richardson	No stated position.
Wagner	Voted for a number of conservation and environmental protection laws as a state senator, including the Growing Greener program, the Conservation and Preservation Easements Act, the creation of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the reauthorization of the Pennsylvania Conservation Corps, the Waste Tire Recycling Act, the Forest Lands Beautification Act, and the Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards Act. However, environmental issues do not figure prominently in his current platform.
Wheatley	Pro-environment record as a state representative.

Gun Control

Peduto	Has been a leader in the council; introduced and supported a significant lost-gun-reporting ordinance. Endorsed by CeaseFirePA. Advocates a three-pronged plan for dealing with gun violence: getting assault weapons of streets, cracking down on gun trafficking, and implementing background checks.
Richardson	Supports universal background checks and harsher punishment for violators of gun laws.
Wagner	As a council member in the 1990s, sponsored an assault weapons ban. Supports universal background checks. Did not respond to CeaseFirePA questionnaire.
Wheatley	Considers gun control a central plank of his platform. Supports universal background checks, a statewide lost-gun-reporting law, and an assault weapons ban.

Fiscal Policy

Peduto	Has been a prominent voice on the city council for fiscal responsibility, championing significant budget reform measures that turned a deficit into a surplus. He has long been a prominent advocate of city-county consolidation. Advocates further streamlining of government services.
Richardson	No stated position.
Wagner	Balanced the budget as city council president in the 1990s by streamlining operations, eliminating waste, and privatizing city functions such as the Phipps Conservatory and Pittsburgh Zoo. Also reduced the wage tax for city residents. As state senator, proposed legislation to reduce the state’s dependency of property taxes. Self-described tax reform advocate; supports lowering taxes on seniors and small businesses, while eliminating certain tax exemptions for nonprofits.
Wheatley	No stated position.

Education

Peduto	Endorsed by the Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers. Advocates expansion of after-school activities and increased funding for public education.
Richardson	No stated position.
Wagner	Would appoint a full-time liaison to the public school system if elected mayor. Advocates expansion of after-school and summer activities. Has opposed education cuts as a state senator.
Wheatley	No concrete platform, but website says, “A guiding principle for the economic growth of Pittsburgh in a Wheatley administration will be predicated on the idea that a quality education today will show us what our economic future will hold.”

Same-Sex Marriage

Peduto	Strongly supports same-sex marriage.
Richardson	No stated position.
Wagner	Strongly supports same-sex marriage.
Wheatley	Supports civil unions; cosponsored a bill to allow same-sex civil unions in Pennsylvania.

LGBT Nondiscrimination

Peduto	Advocates for a state-level antidiscrimination law and seeks ways of allowing same-sex couples to enjoy the financial benefits that married couples enjoy.
Richardson	No stated position.
Wagner	As a state senator, introduced legislation to increase sentences for hate crimes motivated by sexual orientation and to require law enforcement agencies to report statistics on hate crimes based on sexual orientation. However, as a city council member, Wagner voted against adding sexual orientation to Pittsburgh’s nondiscrimination law.
Wheatley	As a state representative, cosponsored legislation to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation.

Abortion Rights

Peduto	Pro-choice. As a council member, proposed legislation to bar protesters from getting within fifteen feet of the doors to an abortion clinic.
Richardson	No stated position.
Wagner	No position in his mayoral platform, but has stated that he is personally opposed to abortion. In a candidate questionnaire to the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference in 2010, he said he would support “a state law to protect unborn children,” but later said that he supports “the present law” in an interview with the Associated Press. Earlier, as a state senator, Wagner supported an amendment penalizing women’s health centers for mentioning abortion. As a city council member, he sponsored a resolution declaring a “Respect Life Week.”
Wheatley	Pro-choice.

Immigration

Peduto	Advocates policies that would attract immigrants to Pittsburgh, such as sponsoring English classes, offering more city services in foreign languages, and retaining more of the foreign students who study here.
Richardson	No stated position.
Wagner	No concrete position, but website says, “Pittsburgh’s enduring strength is that it is a city built by immigrants who came here in pursuit of the American dream of bountiful economic opportunities, safe neighborhoods, and quality educational institutions.”
Wheatley	No stated position.

Drug Policy

Peduto	No stated position.
Richardson	Is “committed in spearheading an attack on the war against drugs.” Proposes “Project X,” whereby a white “X” will be drawn on the sidewalk in any neighborhood that has drug activity. “When a community sees the ‘X’, they will know to be cautious because that location has drug activity taking place.”
Wagner	No stated position.
Wheatley	No concrete position, but promises to “attack the root causes of violence be it economic, mental illness, drugs and alcohol.”

Judge, Superior Court of Pennsylvania

The Superior Court is Pennsylvania’s intermediate appellate court of general jurisdiction. Judicial elections are extremely important; judges are vested with a great deal of power to make people’s lives better or worse, yet voters often pay little attention to these elections. The Superior Court, as an appellate court, is particularly important because of its precedential power and heightened visibility. Keep in mind, too, that the term of a Superior Court judge is ten years, so once they’re in, they’re in for a good long while (though not as long as Article III federal judges, who are appointed for life). Finally, the Superior Court is a common stepping stone to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, the highest court in the commonwealth, which has almost unlimited power to interpret and apply Pennsylvania law. All this is to say that the election of Superior Court judges is a very weighty matter, notwithstanding the common perception of judicial races as uninteresting.

One of the best sources for information about these candidates is the Pennsylvania Bar Association recommendations. In each election, the Pennsylvania Bar Association issues questionnaires to all statewide judicial candidates and rates them as “Highly Recommended,” “Recommended,” or “Not Recommended.” These ratings are themselves only moderately useful—the distinction between “Highly Recommended” and “Recommended” can be fine (but always pay attention to a “Not Recommended” rating). More informative are the questionnaires themselves, which the bar association releases publicly. I have done the work of reading through these questionnaires, as well as other available sources of information such as news articles and candidate websites, and synthesizing my findings for you below.

In the Democratic primary, there are two candidates for judgeship on the Superior Court.

John T. “Jack” McVay, Jr.

Age: 56
Law degree: Duquesne University, 1984
Campaign website: none
Notable experience: Judge, Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas, 2007–present; Assistant solicitor, Allegheny County, 1984–1992 and 1997–2007; Assistant solicitor, City of Pittsburgh, 1995–1998
Legal focus: Child welfare and family law
Pennsylvania Bar Association questionnaire: pabar.org/public/news%20releases/13jec/JohnMcVayJr.pdf
Pennsylvania Bar Association rating: Recommended
Allegheny County Bar Association rating: Highly Recommended
Steel City Stonewall Democrats questionnaire: steel-city.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Jack-McVay.doc
LGBT issues: Supports same-sex marriage and same-sex adoption rights (indeed, has performed numerous adoptions for same-sex couples)
Notable endorsements: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette; Steel City Stonewall Democrats; Allegheny County Labor Council

McVay has a distinguished record as a judge on the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas and is broadly recognized for his legal acumen. Politically, McVay appears to be left-leaning; he supports same-sex marriage and same-sex adoption rights, which suggests generally progressive attitudes on social issues that are likely to come before the Superior Court. Appears to be a fantastic candidate.

Joseph C. Waters, Jr.

Age: 60
Law degree: Temple University, 1994
Campaign website: none
Notable experience: Judge, Philadelphia Municipal Court, 2009–present; Solo practitioner, 2004–2009; Partner in private practice, 1994–2004
Legal focus: Criminal, family, and bankruptcy law
Pennsylvania Bar Association questionnaire: pabar.org/public/news%20releases/13jec/JosephWaters.pdf
Pennsylvania Bar Association rating: Recommended
Liberty City LGBT Democratic Club questionnaire: libertycity.org/images/documents/questionnaires/JoeWaters2013.pdf
LGBT issues: Claims to be unable to disclose whether he supports same-sex marriage and adoption, but emphasizes his connection to the LGBT community
Notable endorsements: Pennsylvania Democrats (before McVay entered the race)

Waters would likely make a fine judge, but he is definitely an inferior candidate to McVay. Waters’s judicial experience is limited to four years as a municipal court judge; he has never written an opinion. McVay, on the other hand, has been on a Court of Common Pleas for six years. (The Courts of Common Pleas hear major civil and criminal cases and, among other things, have appellate jurisdiction over the Philadelphia Municipal Court.)

Judge, Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas

The Courts of Common Pleas are trial-level courts that hear major civil and criminal cases. Each Court of Common Pleas has jurisdiction over a single county (with a few exceptions; there are a few judicial districts that span two less populous counties). Allegheny County has one of the largest Courts of Common Pleas, with several dozen judges. This year, there are four vacancies to be filled, which means that each voter can pick up to four candidates on the ballot.

Information on candidates for the Court of Common Pleas is much harder to come by than information on Superior Court candidates. Bar ratings are available from the Allegheny County Bar Association, but unlike the state bar association, the county bar association releases only a final rating (“Highly Recommended,” “Recommended,” “Not Recommended at This Time,” or “Unqualified”); it does not justify the rating with any explanation, nor does it release candidate questionnaires. The information below is assembled piecemeal from news articles, candidate websites, and other sources of information. Another way to get a sense of the candidates is to watch the debate that was held last month. However, not all candidates appeared there, and some candidates that did appear there subsequently dropped out.

Eleanor Bush

Age: 53
Law degree: Yale University, 1988
Campaign website: eleanorbushforjudge.com
Notable experience: Legal training specialist, Family Design Resources, 2005–present; Independent consultant, American Bar Association Center on Children and the Law, 2004–2005; Legal director, KidsVoice, 2001–2004; Staff attorney, Juvenile Law Center, 1993–2001; Assistant counsel, Pennsylvania Department of Education, 1988–1993
Legal focus: Juvenile and family law
Allegheny County Bar Association rating: Highly Recommended
Steel City Stonewall Democrats questionnaire: steel-city.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Eleanor-Bush.doc
LGBT issues: Supports same-sex marriage and same-sex adoption rights (indeed, filed an amicus brief to that effect in a significant Pennsylvania Supreme Court case)
Notable endorsements: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette; Steel City Stonewall Democrats; Gertrude Stein Political Club

Bush is an excellent candidate. She has an impressive legal background, she is a respected expert on juvenile and family law, and she has dedicated her legal career to public service, working on behalf of children and families. There is every reason to believe she would be a superb judge.

Patrick Connelly

Age: 45
Law degree: West Virginia University, 1994
Campaign website: connellyforjudge.com
Notable experience: Attorney in private practice for eighteen years (ten years as partner; extensive trial experience); Chair, City of Pittsburgh Ethics Board; Solicitor, Pittsburgh St. Patrick’s Day Parade; Solicitor, Board of Directors of the Irish Society for Education and Charity
Legal focus: Civil litigation
Allegheny County Bar Association rating: Recommended
Steel City Stonewall Democrats questionnaire: steel-city.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Patrick-Connelly.doc
LGBT issues: Supports same-sex marriage and same-sex adoption rights
Notable endorsements: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette; Fraternal Order of Police Lodge No. 1

Connelly has impressive trial experience and would likely make a fine judge. However, I do not view him as one of the top four candidates.

Marcia L. Cooper

Age: 50
Law degree: University of Pittsburgh, 1989
Campaign website: none
Notable experience: Staff attorney, KidsVoice; Trial lawyer in private practice for twenty-four years
Legal focus: Civil litigation, juvenile and family law
Allegheny County Bar Association rating: Highly Recommended
Steel City Stonewall Democrats questionnaire: steel-city.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Marcia-Cooper.doc
LGBT issues: Supports same-sex marriage and same-sex adoption rights (indeed, has placed children in same-sex foster homes)

Cooper appears to be well qualified, with extensive experience in private practice as well as more recent nonprofit work.

Paul E. Cozza

Age: 52
Law degree: Duquesne University, 1990
Campaign website: keepjudgecozza.com
Notable experience: Judge, Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas, 2012–present (appointed by Governor Corbett to fill a vacancy, now seeks a full term); Special Master, Allegheny County Board of Viewers, 2009–2012; Previously an attorney in private practice for two decades
Legal focus: Family law, personal injury, criminal defense, real estate
Allegheny County Bar Association rating: Recommended
Steel City Stonewall Democrats questionnaire: steel-city.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Paul-Cozza.pdf
LGBT issues: Supports same-sex marriage and same-sex adoption rights (but notes that this is just his personal belief, and judges are obligated to adhere to the law)
Notable endorsements: Allegheny County Democratic Committee; Allegheny County Labor Council; Fraternal Order of Police Lodge No. 1

Already serving on the Court of Common Pleas is certainly an advantage; it gives Cozza a head start, since he is already familiar with procedures and practices there. He appears to be a competent jurist and would likely continue to serve ably as a judge on the Court of Common Pleas. Although he is a Corbett appointee, he is (and apparently always has been) a Democrat and does not seem to have the same questionable background as fellow Corbett appointee Bill Ward, who is also running for election.

Rosemary Crawford

Age: 49
Law degree: Georgetown University, 1989
Campaign website: rosemarycrawfordforjudge.com
Notable experience: Partner in private practice, 2002–present; Director of legal resources, YWCA Greater Pittsburgh, 2003–2007; Attorney in private practice, 1994–2001; Trial attorney, US Department of Justice, 1992–1994; Assistant counsel, District of Columbia Office of Corporation Counsel, 1990–1992
Legal focus: Bankruptcy, employment law, family law, commercial law, civil litigation
Allegheny County Bar Association rating: Highly Recommended
Steel City Stonewall Democrats questionnaire: steel-city.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Rosemary-Crawford.pdf
LGBT issues: Supports same-sex marriage and same-sex adoption rights
Notable endorsements: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Crawford’s experience as a bankruptcy trustee has given her experience that would serve her well as a judge of the Court of Common Pleas, including successfully arguing a precedential matter before the Third Circuit.

For those who are having trouble finding information about Crawford (she didn’t participate in the judicial debate), the National Association of Women Business Owners has a nice interview with her available online.

Marc Daffner

Age: 44
Law degree: University of Pittsburgh, 1993
Campaign website: daffnerforjudge.com
Notable experience: Managing attorney of own law firm
Legal focus: Criminal law, family law
Allegheny County Bar Association rating: Not Recommended at This Time
Steel City Stonewall Democrats questionnaire: steel-city.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Marc-Daffner.pdf
LGBT issues: Supports same-sex marriage and same-sex adoption rights

Daffner is an experienced attorney and might well make an excellent judge. However, in a field with many superb candidates, a “Not Recommended” bar association rating is sufficient to deter me from considering a candidate seriously, absent exceptional circumstances.

Barbara Behrend Ernsberger

Age: 61
Law degree: Duquesne University, 1976
Campaign website: none
Notable experience: Over three decades in private practice
Legal focus: Family law, worker’s compensation, fraud
Allegheny County Bar Association rating: Recommended
Steel City Stonewall Democrats questionnaire: steel-city.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Barbara-Ernsberger.pdf
LGBT issues: Supports same-sex marriage and same-sex adoption rights
Notable endorsements: Steel City Stonewall Democrats; Gertrude Stein Political Club

Ernsberger is becoming a perennial candidate in judicial elections; she has appeared on the primary ballot as a judicial candidate in every judicial election year since 2009, but she has never won. (In 2011, however, she came close enough to beating Kathryn Boockvar to force a recount.) Nothing makes her a standout candidate; with such a wide field of candidates to choose from, there are others who are better qualified than Ernsberger.

Marvin Leibowitz

Age: 63
Law degree: Widener University
Campaign website: marvinleibowitzforjudge.com
Notable experience: Managing attorney of own law firm for thirteen years; Attorney advisor, Social Security Administration, for twenty-four years
Legal focus: Administrative law, civil litigation, criminal law
Allegheny County Bar Association rating: Not Recommended at This Time
Steel City Stonewall Democrats questionnaire: steel-city.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Marvin-Leibowitz.doc
LGBT issues: Supports same-sex marriage and same-sex adoption rights
Notable endorsements: Gertrude Stein Political Club

Leibowitz is an experienced attorney and might well make an excellent judge. However, in a field with many superb candidates, a “Not Recommended” bar association rating is sufficient to deter me from considering a candidate seriously, absent exceptional circumstances.

Joseph V. “Joe” Luvara

Age: 57
Law degree: Western State University, 1984, and Duquesne University, 1996
Campaign website: luvaraforjudge.com
Notable experience: Principal of own firm, 2010–present; Attorney in private practice, 1996–2010
Legal focus: Commercial law, property law
Allegheny County Bar Association rating: Unqualified
Steel City Stonewall Democrats questionnaire: none

Luvara is the only candidate to receive the lowest possible rating from the Allegheny County Bar Association: “Unqualified.”

Philip J. “PJ” Murray, III

Age: 51
Law degree: Duquesne University, 1988
Campaign website: murray4judge.com
Notable experience: Attorney in private practice, 1990–present (currently partner)
Legal focus: Civil litigation, employment law, business law
Allegheny County Bar Association rating: Recommended
Steel City Stonewall Democrats questionnaire: steel-city.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/P.J.-Murray.pdf
LGBT issues: Supports same-sex marriage and same-sex adoption rights
Notable endorsements: Allegheny County Democratic Committee; Allegheny County Labor Council

Murray is a strong candidate and would make a capable judge. However, in this field of many excellent candidates, Murray does not stand out markedly above others.

Jennifer Satler

Age: 37
Law degree: University of Pittsburgh, 2000
Campaign website: jen4judge.com
Notable experience: Sole practitioner (twelve years of experience as a practicing trial attorney); Assistant public defender, Allegheny County, 2001–2007
Legal focus
Allegheny County Bar Association rating: Not Recommended at This Time
Steel City Stonewall Democrats questionnaire: steel-city.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Jennifer-Satler.doc
LGBT issues: Supports same-sex marriage and same-sex adoption rights (but emphasizes that a judge must adhere to the law)
Notable endorsements: Allegheny County Democratic Committee; Allegheny County Labor Council

With a “Not Recommended” bar association rating, Satler does not stand out as an excellent candidate.

Mark V. Tranquilli

Age: 45
Law degree: University of Pittsburgh, 1992
Campaign website: tranquilliforjudge.com
Notable experience: Prosecutor, Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office, 1994–present (deputy district attorney, 2005–present)
Legal focus: Criminal prosecution
Allegheny County Bar Association rating: Highly Recommended
Steel City Stonewall Democrats questionnaire: steel-city.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Mark-Tranquilli.pdf
LGBT issues: Supports same-sex marriage and same-sex adoption rights
Notable endorsements: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette; Allegheny County Democratic Committee; Steel City Stonewall Democrats; Allegheny County Labor Council; Fraternal Order of Police Lodge No. 1

Tranquilli has a long history with the county district attorney’s office; he has served in the Homicide Unit since its formation in 2000 and has prosecuted a number of quite high-profile cases. He appears to be generally highly regarded, including by defense attorneys he has faced in court. He seems very well qualified to serve on the Court of Common Pleas.

William F. “Bill” Ward

Age: 61
Law degree: Temple University, 1977
Campaign website: none
Notable experience: Judge, Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas, 2012–present (appointed by Governor Corbett to fill a vacancy, now seeks a full term); Chief of staff, Governor of Pennsylvania, 2011–2012; Attorney in private practice, 2003–2011; Chair, Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole, 1997–2003; First deputy attorney general, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, 1996–1997; Partner in private practice, 1986–1996; Assistant attorney, US Attorney’s Office, 1979–1985
Legal focus: White-collar criminal defense, commercial litigation
Allegheny County Bar Association rating: Highly Recommended
Steel City Stonewall Democrats questionnaire: none
Notable endorsements: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Ward was Republican Governor Tom Corbett’s chief of staff until Corbett appointed him to fill a vacancy on the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas last year, prompting accusations of cronyism. I do not doubt his legal competence, but the circumstances of his appointment, his role as Corbett’s chief of staff, and his nonparticipation in the Steel City Stonewall Democrats endorsement process leave me quite uncomfortable with Ward’s judgeship.