Pennsylvania Supreme Court elections, 2015

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• Outlook
• Political composition
• Priorities
• On the ballot
• Primary election
• Background

Pennsylvania voters filled three vacancies on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court on November 3, 2015: two vacancies created by retirements and one vacancy created by an incumbent's primary loss. The three candidates elected to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in this historic election were: Kevin M. Dougherty (D), David N. Wecht (D) and Christine Donohue (D).

This Democratic sweep changed the partisan balance of the court: where the court previously had three Republicans, two Democrats and two vacancies, it now has five Democratic justices and two Republicans.

This was the most competitive supreme court race the commonwealth had seen since 2009, and became the most expensive race in American history. Court elections in 2011 and 2013 were uncontested retention elections for incumbent justices.

General election

General election, 2015
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	David N. Wecht	18.4%	1,074,411
	Democratic	Christine Donohue	18.2%	1,063,006
	Democratic	Kevin M. Dougherty	18.5%	1,084,147
	Republican	Anne Covey	13.6%	797,729
	Republican	Michael A. George	13.6%	798,596
	Republican	Judith Olson	15.2%	890,168
	Independent	Paul Panepinto	2.5%	144,877
Total Votes				5,852,934

Narrowing the field

Pennsylvania’s primary election, held on May 19, 2015, narrowed the field from 12 major party candidates to six. The top three candidates from each party based on vote totals from the primary are on the general election ballot, along with independent candidate Paul P. Panepinto, a longtime Philadelphia Common Pleas Court judge, who was nominated by petition. Democrats Christine Donohue, Kevin M. Dougherty and David N. Wecht and Republicans Anne Covey, Michael A. George and Judith F. Olson appeared on the general election ballot, along with Panepinto.

On October 14, 2015, the seven candidates appeared together for the first time for a debate. Much of the discussion focused on integrity and the high court's current ethics concerns. The morning of the debate, sitting Justice Michael Eakin issued an apology for the "insensitive content" discovered in his emails during investigations conducted by the judicial conduct board.

Advertising surge

On October 21, the Republican State Leadership Committee announced it would spend more than $1 million on television and online advertising during the last two weeks of the campaign. The last-minute spending on behalf of both parties made the Pennsylvania race the most expensive supreme court race in American history.

Political composition

Justices of the court are initially elected in strictly partisan elections for 10-year terms. Subsequent terms are then determined by yes-no retention elections. At stake in 2015 was the Republican Party's slim majority in the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.

Current justices

A blue dot denotes a Democratic Party affiliation, and a red dot denotes a Republican Party affiliation.

• Vacancy: Previously held by Chief Justice Ronald Castille
• Vacancy: Previously held by Justice Seamus P. McCaffery

General election ballot positions

General election sample ballots distributed to voters in advance of the election list the candidates in the following order:

Democratic:

• David N. Wecht
• Kevin M. Dougherty
• Christine Donohue

Republican:

• Judith Olson
• Michael A. George
• Anne Covey

Independent Judicial Alliance:

• Paul P. Panepinto

Candidate priorities

The candidates had posted the following statements about their priorities and major campaign issues on their campaign websites or included them on their Pennsylvania Bar Association (PBA) questionnaires as of April 26, 2015. The quoted content is posted in the order in which the candidates appeared on the general election ballot.

Democratic

David N. Wecht (D)

“	1. Absolute ban on all gifts to judges The opportunity to serve as a judge is a solemn responsibility and a public trust. It should not include an opportunity to reap profit from others through the receipt of gifts. The exchange of favors has no place in the judicial process. Gifts to judges, be they golf junkets or trinkets, should be banned completely. 2. Tightened Anti-Nepotism Policy; Sunset Employment of Judges’ Relatives Pennsylvania’s Code of Judicial Conduct was finally revised in 2014 to ban longstanding and shameful practices of nepotism. However, while the Code bans judges from hiring their relatives in the future, it says (and does) nothing about the fact that many judges already have their relatives on the public payroll, and that this nepotism continues unchecked. This has to stop. Our Supreme Court should impose a reasonable sunset period (perhaps five years) to allow judges’ family members to find other work -- work outside the chambers and courtrooms of their judicial kin. 3. Require judges to rule on the record or in writing on all motions for recusal Pennsylvania’s Code of Judicial Conduct calls for judges to recuse themselves in circumstances where their impartiality can reasonably be questioned. The Code should be revised to require judges whose recusal is sought to state on the record their reasons for granting or denying the motion, so all circumstances can be viewed in the light of day, both by the reviewing court and by the public as a whole. 4. Mandated ethics courses for all judicial candidates We entrust our judges with tremendous power over the lives of others. Recent events have shown that those to whom this power is granted can go seriously astray. Before further abuses occur, it is critical that all who seek judicial office be required to complete a course in judicial ethics. It is not too much to ask judicial candidates to acquire a basic familiarity with best practices in the essential area of proper conduct. 5. Television broadcast of court proceedings Citizens have an interest, and indeed a right, in knowing what transpires in the courtrooms that they pay for and where justice is done in their name. All proceedings in every Pennsylvania court are presumptively open, and this openness mandated by our Constitution should include television access so that the openness is real. All Pennsylvanians should have the opportunity to view proceedings wherever they may be. Technology allows for such broadcasting to be performed unobtrusively and without distraction. Judges should be afforded the discretion to close proceedings to television in appropriate circumstances, such as cases involving child abuse, certain sexual offenses, matters requiring a measure of confidentiality, and other special situations.	”
—Wecht 2015 (2015)

Kevin M. Dougherty (D)

“	As a judge, Dougherty has always made fair access to a fair process one of his top priorities, and has made sure that everyone who comes before him has competent legal representation. Whenever possible, he emphasized treatment and rehabilitation for at-risk youth, rather than placement; however, he never hesitated to send a violent juvenile away for proper treatment and educational services whenever circumstances warranted. When Philadelphia was besieged by “flash mobs” of violent youth attacking random citizens, Judge Dougherty made examples of the leaders by placing them in juvenile detention facilities. These swift and decisive actions were credited with helping to stop the “flash mobs” and restore a sense of safety on the streets. His tough but fair approach has turned countless troubled lives around and significantly improved a justice system that many long considered to be dysfunctional.	”
—Kevin Dougherty for Pennsylvania (2015)

Christine Donohue (D)

“	Throughout her career, Judge Donohue has had the opportunity to litigate or preside over landmark cases protecting the rights of injured persons, holding corporations accountable for fraudulent behavior, eliminating bias against LGBT parents in custody matters and more. She has been an adjunct professor at Duquesne University and lectured before legal, professional and student audiences. She has served on or led every ethics enforcement body and tribunal established in Pennsylvania to ensure attorneys and judges comply with the highest standards of conduct. Judge Donohue, who represented individuals, corporations and business people throughout her career as an attorney, earned the title of Pennsylvania Super Lawyer and is listed in Best Lawyers in America.	”
—Donohue for Justice (2015)

Republican

Judith Olson (R)

“	My judicial philosophy is rooted in the notion that we must adhere to the necessity of preserving the separation of powers of the three branches and to acknowledge the important role each must play in government. The judicial branch is charged with interpreting the laws enacted by the legislature. It is the job of a judge to review matters of law and not to act as a “superlegislature,” by imposing “judge-made” law in place of democratically elected officials. To do otherwise is to create a threat to the values of stability and predictability. Judicial restraint is the only judicial philosophy that preserves those values – values which are paramount to the proper maintenance of a majoritarian system such as our own. I also believe that all parties are equal in the eyes of the law and must be treated fairly and impartially. Every litigant is entitled to his or her day in court and must be treated with respect. In fact, the touchstone of my philosophy is respect. It is paramount that a judge respect the law, the legal system, the lawyers and the litigants.	”
—Judy Olson's campaign website (2015)

Michael A. George (R)

“	During his tenure on the bench, Judge George has been actively involved in an organizational transformation program that garnered the Governor’s Award for Local Government Excellence from the Department of Community and Economic Development and he has overseen the creation of a unified court budget to speed the budget approval process and remove bureaucratic bottlenecks. A former Executive Committee Member for the Pennsylvania Conference of State Trial Judges, he received the organization’s Golden Crowbar Award for instituting programs to increase the collection of past-due fines, restitution and costs, thereby making victim financially whole and holding criminal offenders accountable.	”
—Mike George for Supreme Court (2015)

Anne Covey (R)

“	Judge Covey is best known as the trial judge in the case of Corman v. NCAA. Judge Covey authored the opinion that ruled the Endowment Act constitutional and kept $60 million of Penn State funds in Pennsylvania. The $60 million will go to help victims of abuse right here in Pennsylvania. Judge Covey has interpreted the law in a fair and efficient manner and has not used foreign law as either a precedent or as informing her decisions and opinions. Judge Covey’s opinions have sought to be clear and concise, yet detailed enough to provide litigants with an unambiguous understanding of the law. Such unambiguous opinions reduce the need for future litigation and expense to our economy and to taxpayers. Judge Covey was the first woman (and to date only) appointed to the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board. She was first appointed by Governor Schweiker and re-appointed by Governor Ed Rendell.	”
—Covey for Justice Committee (2015)

Independent

Paul P. Panepinto

“	I am running in this race for Pennsylvania Supreme Court and need your vote on November 3, 2015 because the citizens of PA deserve to have a Justice on the Highest Court who will serve with integrity and dedication. My record as a Judge in the Court of Common Pleas spans twenty-four years, and I have a proven track record of making fair decisions, serving in an administrative capacity, and upholding the rule of law with integrity and professionalism. I am an independent candidate who believes in family values, limited government, and the importance of the Constitution. I follow the rule of law without legislating from the bench. Being a Judge is an awesome responsibility that requires one to act as a dedicated public servant. The men and women who aspire to these positions should be scrutinized to ensure that they have the experience and qualifications necessary for such an important role. The voters should never serve as an automatic rubber stamp of any and all judicial candidates offered to the public by party endorsement or by political leaders who may have a personal, self-serving agenda. So, in short, what is my message to you? Qualifications, experience, and integrity matter. Cast your vote according to what your conscience dictates. Study the candidates and the choices before you; examine the credentials of all candidates and ask important questions. Do not allow yourself to be sold by a bill of goods by politicians who may have their own selfish interests at heart. Electing qualified judges is not a guessing game. The rulings and decisions made by Judges impact all of our lives, so make your choice based on qualifications, experience, and character. The future well-being of our society depends on it. Your vote matters! I have a long history and record of accomplishments, and I practice what I preach. You can be sure of my record of integrity, loyalty, and dedication to public service and to my oath of office.	”
—Friends of Judge Paul Panepinto (2015)

On the ballot

Voter registration

To vote in Pennsylvania, eligible residents must be registered at least 30 days prior to the election. Eligible Pennsylvania residents may register to vote online; in person at a county elections office or other designated site, select government offices, or a PennDOT photo license center; or by mailing or hand delivering a completed voter registration form to a county elections office. Voter registration cannot be done by phone in Pennsylvania.

Absentee voters can register with their county elections office up until 5:00 p.m. on the Tuesday prior to the next election. Primary voters must be registered with a political party before voting in that party's primary. All registered voters may vote on constitutional amendments, on ballot questions and in all special elections held at the same time as a primary election.

To register to vote in Pennsylvania, you must be:
☐ A U.S. citizen for at least one month before the next election
☐ At least 18 years of age on or before the date of the next election
☐ A resident of the state and the election district in which you wish to register for at least 30 days prior to the next election

2015 Primary election

Results

Pennsylvania Supreme Court, Three seats, General Election, 2015
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Kevin M. Dougherty	18.5%	1,079,835
	Democratic	David N. Wecht	18.4%	1,070,568
	Democratic	Christine Donohue	18.2%	1,059,167
	Republican	Judith Olson	15.2%	887,409
	Republican	Michael A. George	13.6%	796,124
	Republican	Anne Covey	13.6%	795,330
	Independent Judicial Alliance	Paul P. Panepinto	2.5%	144,403
		Write-in votes	0%	0
Total Votes				5,832,836
Source: Pennsylvania Department of State, "Unofficial General Election Results," November 3, 2015

Pennsylvania Supreme Court, Three seats, Democratic Primary, 2015
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
David N. Wecht	22.1%	256,761
Kevin M. Dougherty	22.0%	256,048
Christine Donohue	21.4%	248,325
Anne Lazarus	16.3%	189,127
Dwayne D. Woodruff	11.7%	136,127
John H. Foradora	6.6%	76,190
Write-in votes	0%	0
Total Votes		1,162,578
Source: Pennsylvania Department of State, "2015 Municipal Primary Unofficial Results," May 19, 2015

Pennsylvania Supreme Court, Three seats, Republican Primary, 2015
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Judith Olson	22.1%	177,199
Michael A. George	21.7%	173,683
Anne Covey	20.2%	161,680
Cheryl Lynn Allen	13.9%	111,112
Rebecca L. Warren	11.7%	93,688
Correale Stevens Incumbent	10.5%	83,815
Write-in votes	0%	0
Total Votes		801,177
Source: Pennsylvania Department of State, "2015 Municipal Primary Unofficial Results," May 19, 2015

“ The more candidates there are, the more valuable a good ballot position is. It becomes more important because they're judicial candidates, so people don't know the names as well as say, for president or governor. ” —Lynn Marks, Pennsylvanians for Modern Courts (2015)

“ It's hard to assess if a person is going to be a good judge or whether or not they are really qualified because, except for the couple of inches of print that (newspapers) give them, you really have to do some research...If a voter still can't make a decision, and they are presented with a choice, they are more likely to choose the first person on the ballot. ” —George Dougherty, University of Pittsburgh (2013)

Primary election ballot positions

Election officials drew lots to determine the order in which the candidates' names would appear on the primary ballot. Some believe that being at the top of the ballot is advantageous, especially in races with several candidates.

Republican primary ballot order:

• Correale Stevens - Incumbent
• Anne Covey
• Rebecca L. Warren
• Michael A. George
• Cheryl Lynn Allen
• Judith Olson

Democratic primary ballot order:

• David N. Wecht
• Christine Donohue
• Kevin M. Dougherty
• John H. Foradora
• Anne Lazarus
• Dwayne D. Woodruff

Party endorsements

Democratic Party

The Pennsylvania Democratic Party endorsed David N. Wecht and Kevin M. Dougherty prior to the 2015 primary. Wecht and Dougherty were the only Democratic candidates to receive the two-thirds vote of the committee necessary for an official party endorsement. Christine Donohue failed to reach the endorsement threshold by 14 votes during the committee's February meeting.

Republican Party

The Pennsylvania Republican Party endorsed Michael A. George, Judith Olson and Anne Covey in late January 2015. Justice Correale Stevens did not pursue the endorsement because he was a sitting justice.

Covey's endorsement by the state Republican Party followed the Pennsylvania Bar Association's (PBA) decision not to recommend her for a seat on the court. The PBA initially offered to withhold listing Covey as Not Recommended in their recommendations if Covey withdrew from the race. PBA evaluators noted Covey's failure to adhere to a clean campaign pledge during a 2011 race for the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court. Covey refused to withdraw from the race and concluded her February 8 response to PBA President Francis X. O'Connor by requesting that her name be removed from 2015 evaluation ratings:

“	I have been forthcoming in all my discussions and dealings with the PBA and the JEC. I find the entire course of events as outlined above to be unethical, unprofessional and unacceptable. I never agreed to have a commission of an obviously unaccountable association act unethically, in violation of my clear Constitutional protections, contrary to its own Articles of Incorporation, procedures and standards or act in total disregard for the truth, common courtesy and decency. I will no longer engage in this issue from this point on. Additionally, I immediately resign my membership from the PBA. I expect my name and all references to me as a member to be immediately removed from any electronic or other PBA documents. The remaining pro-rata membership fee is to be returned to the Pennsylvania Judiciary. In addition to the JEC seeking to punish me for expressing my Constitutional First Amendment Rights, threatening me and pushing for me to breach confidentiality, it has sought to keep me quiet. I will not be a victim and I will not remain silent regarding the unethical and unprofessional activities I experienced with the PBA’s JEC. Let me stress, I am not concerned solely about my rights and integrity, but also about those who may appear before the JEC in subsequent years. I have an obligation to ensure a fair, ethical and professional process for all. Furthermore, I believe that our entire Pennsylvania legal community has an interest to ensure that the highest standards of ethics and professionalism exist at the PBA and within its committees and commissions. As such, I reserve my rights to share this letter with whoever I deem appropriate, including the news media, in my sole discretion. Accordingly, based upon the documented details discussed herein with respect to the JEC and its chairman’s unethical and disrespectful conduct toward me, I expect the PBA to do the following: 1) Authorize the release of the JEC’s investigators’ reports regarding my fitness for public office. Given the JEC and its chairman’s serial objectionable conduct, I have no trust in the JEC or the PBA at this time. Only by making the investigative reports known will a fair determination of my qualifications be able to be made. 2) Due to his conduct, the JEC chairman should immediately resign from the JEC. I reserve any rights I may have against the PBA, its JEC and its individual members in their treatment toward me to date, and anything it may choose to do going forward.	”
—PennLive.com (2015)

Covey's name did not appear on a January 28 list of recommendations but was listed as Not Recommended on a second round of evaluations on February 10.

Bar association recommendations

The PBA's Judicial Evaluation Committee (JEC) issued recommendations for all 12 candidates for the court at the beginning of 2015. The JEC divides candidates seeking appellate court seats into three categories: Highly Recommended, Recommended and Not Recommended. PBA recommendations are based on interviews with the candidates along with evaluations of professional experience and adherence to ethical standards. The candidates were given the following designations by the PBA:

Highly Recommended
Cheryl Lynn Allen
Christine Donohue
Anne Lazarus
Correale Stevens - Incumbent
David N. Wecht
Judith Olson

Recommended
Kevin M. Dougherty
John H. Foradora
Michael A. George
Dwayne D. Woodruff

Not Recommended
Anne Covey
Rebecca L. Warren

Additional endorsements

• The Pennsylvania AFL-CIO endorsed Kevin M. Dougherty (D), David N. Wecht (D) and Christine Donohue (D) in March 2015.

• The Pennsylvania State Troopers Association endorsed Judith Olson (R) and Michael A. George (R) in April 2015.

Competitiveness of court races

The following table compares the results of the last four competitive court races in Pennsylvania. In the four competitive elections between 2001 and 2009, the highest margin of victory between winning and losing candidates was 6.34 percent, in 2009.

Court race competitiveness, 2001-2009
Year	Winning candidate 1	Party	Percent of vote	Winning candidate 2	Party	Percent of vote	Losing candidate 1	Party	Percent of vote	Losing candidate 2	Party	Percent of vote	Margin of victory
2009	Joan Orie Melvin		53.17%	N/A	N/A	N/A	Jack Panella		46.83%	N/A	N/A	N/A	6.34%
2007	Seamus McCaffery		30.11%	Debra Todd		26.48%	Maureen Lally-Green		24.28%	Mike Krancer		19.13%	2.2%
2003	Max Baer		51.85%	N/A	N/A	N/A	Joan Orie Melvin		48.15%	N/A	N/A	N/A	3.7%
2001	Michael Eakin		52.43%	N/A	N/A	N/A	Kate Ford Elliott		47.57%	N/A	N/A	N/A	4.86%

Race background

Three open seats were up for election on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in 2015. Going into the primary, there were 12 candidates running for the court. One open seat was the result of the retirement of Chief Justice Ronald Castille in December 2014. The other two seats were made vacant by resignations. In May 2013, Justice Joan Orie Melvin resigned after her conviction for campaign corruption. The second resignation occurred in October 2014, when Justice Seamus P. McCaffery left the court due to both his implication in an FBI investigation involving the exchange of referral fees between his wife and several law firms, and his involvement in a scandal wherein sexually explicit emails were forwarded from his personal email account to court employees.

Justice Correale Stevens was appointed to the bench by Governor Tom Corbett (R) in June 2013 to replace Joan Orie Melvin. He ran unsuccessfully in 2015 to keep his seat on the court.

Campaign finances in the primary

May reporting period
The candidates for the May 19 primary had $2,127,498.74 in cash on hand as of the last pre-primary reporting period. Michael A. George (R) had the most cash on hand at $497,325.16, while Rebecca L. Warren (R) had the lowest total at $2,574.97. The biggest contribution during this reporting period was $50,000 from Ronald Caplan, president of PMC Property Group, to Democratic candidate Kevin M. Dougherty.

Pre-primary campaign finance, May 2015
Candidate	Party	Cash on hand ($)	Highest contribution ($)	Contributor(s)
Michael A. George	Republican	497,325.16	5,000	Friends of Rich Alloway
David N. Wecht	Democratic	450,877.64	20,000	Fairness PA
Kevin M. Dougherty	Democratic	422,421.91	50,000	Ronald Caplan, President, PMC Property Group
Anne Lazarus	Democratic	224,663.64	5,000	Fairness PA, Alan Ominsky
Anne Covey	Republican	149,229.72	25,000	Anthony & Catherine Misitano
John H. Foradora	Democratic	137,130.66	10,000	Monica Mitchell
Judith Olson	Republican	111,688.92	25,000	PA Future Fund
Christine Donohue	Democratic	53,299.01	10,000	Carpenters PAC of Philadelphia & Vicinity
Dwayne D. Woodruff	Democratic	42,129.39	5,000	Franco Harris, Former player, Pittsburgh Steelers Football Club
Correale Stevens	Republican	18,777.49	20,000	Alan H. Potamkin
Cheryl Lynn Allen	Republican	17,380.23	10,000	Fairness PA
Rebecca L. Warren	Republican	2,574.97	500	John Kasha

April reporting period
Three candidates reported campaign receipts exceeding $500,000 in finance reports filed on April 7. Kevin M. Dougherty (D) took the cash-on-hand lead with $584,666.22 in the bank, followed by David N. Wecht (D) at $546,220.24 and Michael A. George (R) at $508,459.63. Eight of the nine remaining primary candidates totaled approximately $898,000 on hand by early April, with Rebecca L. Warren (R) having a negative cash balance. The fundraising advantage through March rested with Democratic candidates, who totaled $1.94 million on hand compared to $595,000 for Republican candidates.

Pre-primary campaign finance, April 2015
Candidate	Party	Cash on hand ($)	Highest contribution ($)	Contributor(s)
Kevin M. Dougherty	Democratic	584,666.22	100,000	Local Union #98 I.B.E.W. Committee On Political Education
David N. Wecht	Democratic	546,220.24	25,000	Daniel Berger, Attorney
Michael A. George	Republican	508,459.63	500,000	Gary Lowenthal, Founder, Boyds Bears
John H. Foradora	Democratic	391,074.05	100,000	John H. Foradora
Anne Lazarus	Democratic	262,093.08	75,000	Anne Lazarus
Christine Donohue	Democratic	184,727.00	5,000	Commonwealth Heritage PAC, I.B.E.W. Local 5, Obermayer Rebmann Maxwell & Hippel and 13 individual donors
Anne Covey	Republican	56,540.38	25,000	PA Future Fund
Correale Stevens	Republican	44,101.58	5,000	Pennsylvania Society of Physicians Assistants, Gillespie, Miscavige, Ferdinand & Baranko LLC and four individual donors
Dwayne D. Woodruff	Democratic	29,514.80	5,000	Arthur J. Rooney II, President, Pittsburgh Steelers Football Club
Cheryl Lynn Allen	Republican	17,135.00	10,000	Eldora Ellison, Retired
Judith Olson	Republican	842.06	1,000	Carl G. Grefenstette, Director, Hillman Foundation
Rebecca L. Warren	Republican	-2,668.35	5,000	Rebecca L. Warren

April 8 candidate forum

A candidate forum at the Free Library of Philadelphia on April 8 showcased candidate concerns over the influence of money in judicial elections. Five candidates participated in the forum: Anne Lazarus (D), John H. Foradora (D), David N. Wecht (D), Dwayne D. Woodruff (D) and Cheryl Lynn Allen (R). All of the candidates at the forum argued that more campaign cash presented issues for judicial races, though none believed that eliminating elections would be the right solution. Foradora argued that campaign cash potentially damages the court's integrity, while Woodruff suggested that higher finance requirements presented a barrier to entry for qualified candidates. Allen advocated for nonpartisan elections as a counterweight to increasing partisanship on the court.

Failed nominations

In February 2015, Governor Tom Wolf (D) nominated both Ken Gormley, a law professor for the Duquesne University School of Law, and Judge Thomas Kistler of the Centre County Court of Common Pleas. However, after a Christmas email sent by Kistler and a halt to confirm Gormley, Wolf said he planned no further nominations to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.

Kistler asked that his nomination be withdrawn after a report surfaced of a racially insensitive e-greeting sent out by Kistler to friends in 2013. The e-greeting depicted a black couple, with the male wearing prison garb behind a glass window and his female visitor speaking to him via a jailhouse phone. The caption attached to the e-greeting said, "Merry Christmas from the Johnsons," and Kistler sent the greeting with a subject heading of "Best Christmas card ever."

Gormley's nomination came under scrutiny when reports of harassment complaints filed in 2006 against Gormley were circulated among the Senate Judiciary Committee. An internal Duquesne University report, which had been cited in a lawsuit filed against Gormley, recommended that Gormley not supervise women because he had shared "an unsubstantiated rumor" regarding a female professor. The suit was later settled by the female professor and the university.

Recent news

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Pennsylvania Supreme Court election. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

Pennsylvania Supreme Court elections, 2015 - Google News

See also

• Pennsylvania judicial elections, 2015
• Pennsylvania Supreme Court
• Judicial selection in Pennsylvania
• Pennsylvania judicial elections
• Pennsylvania Judicial Retirement Age Amendment (2015)

External links

Suggest a link

• Pennsylvania Supreme Court candidate information
• Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
• Pennsylvania Department of State