Many people come to this site to think about how to change the world, improve their communities, and broaden their horizons. Having been on this site for about a decade, I've made a big leap today that I hope makes at least our little corner of Central Pennsylvania a bit of a better place.
Today I filed to run for Magisterial District Judge for a slice of western and northern Lebanon County, Pennsylvania. The incumbent judge withdrew for family and health reasons, and several County Democratic Committee members reached out to me. Incumbent judges, needing to keep above the fray, don't endorse candidates. Here, Judge Smith is tending to his court, rather than generating publicity about who will take the seat next year. After a lot of thought and long talks with my wife, I decided to take the plunge. So, today, the campaign was born.
http://www.ldnews.com/...
Judicial campaigns are a bit different than most other elective contests. We have rules, both as candidates and attorneys, that we must follow while seeking votes. First, no making things up. You can speak accurately about your qualifications and your opponent's qualifications. But the second you say things out of context or just wrong, the rules can catch you. Second, no name calling. Sadly, this is a big deal in our electoral politics today. Third, you can talk about how you would perform the job, but you can't talk about how you would rule in any future case or controversy.
My biggest challenge (beyond meeting and reaching out to voters) is to stay positive and upbeat in our current campaign environment. As much as I want to talk about the independent judiciary and treating everyone coming into court fairly, I have this nagging thought in the back of my mind that too many modern campaigns get nasty, quickly. I hope to stay out of that rut (as my wife reminds me to stay positive).
In our district (52-3-04 for Pennsylvania people who would be curious), there was a District Court audit that found some issues- all since corrected, but nonetheless an issue during the primary. I would put my systems background to work to make sure the court runs efficiently.
I hope to win the voters' trust in the one borough and six townships in the District (Cleona, all three Annvilles, East Hanover, Union and Cold Spring). I'm open to suggestions how to stay positive and how to reach out to off year voters who are by a 2 to 1 margin in the other party. Thanks for reading.
Raiders for Judge