2017 Pennsylvania Elections

Pennsylvania held statewide elections on November 7, 2017, to fill judicial positions on the Supreme Court, Superior Court, and the Commonwealth Court, to allow judicial retention votes, and to fill numerous county, local and municipal offices.

The necessary primary elections were held in May 2017.

Special elections

Pennsylvania House of Representatives

133rd legislative district

A special election for the 133rd legislative district took place on December 5, following the death of Democratic state representative Daniel McNeill.

Democrats selected McNeill's wife Jeanne McNeill as their nominee. Republicans nominated David Molony and Libertarians nominated Samantha Dorney.

197th legislative district

Democratic state representative Leslie Acosta was re-elected during the 2016 elections, but later resigned after pleading guilty to charges of embezzlement. A special election for the 197th legislative district took place on March 21.

Republicans nominated Lucinda Little for the seat. Democrats originally nominated health clinic administrator Frederick Ramirez, but a Commonwealth Court ruling declared that Ramirez did not reside in the district and removed him from the ballot. Democrats attempted to replace Ramirez with Philadelphia Parking Authority auditor Emilio Vazquez, but the Court ruled (and the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania confirmed) that the filing deadline had passed, preventing the substitution. Vazquez subsequently ran a write-in campaign, along with Green Party candidate Cheri Honkala.

Following the special election, four elections officers were charged with interference after allegations of duress and voter intimidation were made.

Justice of the Supreme Court

One seat was up for election after Justice Michael Eakin resigned on March 15, 2016. Republican Superior Court judge Sallie Updyke Mundy was appointed by Governor Tom Wolf to the seat vacated by Justice Eakin and was subsequently confirmed on June 27, 2016. Justice Mundy ran for a full 10-year term.

Republican primary

Candidates

* Sallie Mundy, incumbent Justice of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania

Results

Democratic primary

Candidates

* Dwayne Woodruff, Judge of the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas, former Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback

Results

General election

Results

Judge of the Superior Court

Four seats of the Superior Court were up for election. Three seats were up for partisan election due to the retirement of Judge Cheryl Lynn Allen in September 2015 and the election of then-Judges Christine Donohue and David Wecht to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in 2015. A fourth seat became vacant due to then–Judge Sallie Mundy's elevation to the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania in July 2016.

In 2016, Governor Tom Wolf appointed three judges to the Superior Court, Carl Solano, Lillian Harris Ransom, and Geoffrey Moulton. The appointed judges filled the vacant seats of Judge Cheryl Lynn Allen, Justice Donohue, and Justice Wecht, respectively.

Democratic primary

Candidates

* William Caye, Allegheny County prosecutor
* Deborah Kunselman, Judge of the Beaver County Court of Common Pleas
* Maria McLaughlin, Judge of the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas
* Carolyn Nichols, Judge of the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas
* H. Geoffrey Moulton Jr., incumbent Judge of the Superior Court of Pennsylvania

=Withdrawn

=
* Albert Flora Jr., criminal defense attorney
* Lillian Harris Ransom, incumbent Judge of the Superior Court of Pennsylvania

Results

Republican primary

Candidates

* Emil Giordano, Judge of the Northampton County Court of Common Pleas
* Wade Kagarise, Judge of the Blair County Court of Common Pleas
* Mary Murray, Judge of the Allegheny County Magisterial District Court
* Paula Patrick, Judge of the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas
* Craig Stedman, Lancaster County district attorney

=Withdrawn

=
* Carl Solano, incumbent Judge of the Superior Court of Pennsylvania

Results

Third parties

Candidates

* Jules Mermelstein (Green), attorney and former Upper Dublin Township commissioner (1992–2011)

General election

Results

Judge of the Commonwealth Court

Two seats were up for election. Judge Bernard McGinley retired from the court on January 31, 2016, and Judge Bonnie Brigace Leadbetter became a senior judge on January 31, 2016. Governor Tom Wolf appointed Joseph Cosgrove and Julia Hearthway to fill the vacant seats of Judge McGinley and Judge Leadbetter, respectively. Incumbent Judge Joseph Cosgrove, a Democrat, ran for a full 10-year term, while Judge Julia Hearthway, a Republican, did not run for a full term, and vacated her seat on September 1, 2017.

Democratic primary

Candidates

* Bryan Barbin, state representative
* W. Timothy Barry, municipal solicitor
* Ellen Ceisler, Judge of the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas
* Irene McLaughlin Clark, former Judge of the Pittsburgh Municipal Court
* Joseph Cosgrove, incumbent Judge of the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania
* Todd Eagen, managing partner, Welby, Stoltenberg, Cimballa & Cook, LLC

Results

Republican primary

Candidates

* Christine Fizzano Cannon, Judge of the Delaware County Court of Common Pleas, former Delaware County commissioner (2007–2011)
* Paul Lalley, senior associate, Campbell Durrant, P.C

=Declined

=
* Julia Hearthway, incumbent Judge of the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania

Results

General election

Results

Judicial retention

Supreme Court

Superior Court

Mayoral elections

Pittsburgh

Lancaster

Allentown

Harrisburg

Ballot questions

References

{{2017 United States elections

November 2017 events in the United States
2017
2017 Pennsylvania elections
Pennsylvania special elections
Pennsylvania