Panepinto
Paul Panepinto, a Philadelphia Common Pleas Court judge, is calling on voters to elect him as an independent to Pennsylvania Supreme Court.
Panepinto spoke on Sunday at a candidates forum at Congregations of Shaare Shamayim, on Verree Road in Bustleton. A former Republican, he was appointed to Common Pleas Court in 1990 and elected a year later.
“Independence is what we need in the judiciary,” he said. “Politics should be out of the court system.”
Pennsylvanians will elect three members of the Supreme Court. The other candidates are Democrats David Wecht, Kevin Dougherty and Christine Donohue and Republicans Judy Olson, Mike George and Anne Covey.
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Other candidates appearing at the forum were Republican mayoral nominee Melissa Murray Bailey; independent mayoral candidate Jim Foster; Democratic at-large City Council candidate Allan Domb; Republican at-large Councilman Denny O’Brien; Republican at-large candidates Terry Tracy and Al Taubenberger; Kristin Combs, a Green Party candidate for Council at large; Andrew Stober, an independent candidate for Council at large; Kevin Strickland, the Republican candidate in the 9th Councilmanic District; Lisa Deeley, a Democratic candidate for city elections commissioner; and Ross Feinberg, Republican candidate for register of wills.
Tracy called for a performance and financial audit of the School District of Philadelphia, and said he would travel to Harrisburg to advocate on the city’s behalf. He believes a Republican can be effective even though Democrats are expected to have a 14–3 advantage on Council.
“Opposite voices can have a difference,” he said.
Candidates who had surrogates speak on their behalf were David Wecht and Kevin Dougherty, running for Supreme Court, and Jim Kenney, running for mayor.
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AFSCME District Council 33 has endorsed Republican Al Taubenberger for Philadelphia City Council at large.
“Al Taubenberger is pro-union and a man of character who understands and appreciates the hard work and commitment of the members of AFSCME District Council 33,” said longtime DC 33 president Pete Matthews. “Al also is a man of his word, and City Council needs more members who walk the walk and stand by their commitments.”
“If I am fortunate enough to be elected to City Council on Nov. 3, I will be a strong advocate for Philadelphia’s hard-working municipal labor unions” Taubenberger said.
Meanwhile, Teamsters Union Local 830 also endorsed Taubenberger. The union represents members in the soft drink and brewery industry.
“Al Taubenberger is an accomplished businessman, a veteran of city government and a decent, honorable man. City Council will benefit greatly from Al’s experience and wisdom. Al is also a friend of labor, and Teamsters Local 830 is pleased and proud to endorse him in the upcoming general election,” said Daniel Grace, secretary-treasurer of the union.
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The 5th Square political action committee has endorsed Republican Terry Tracy and independent Andrew Stober for at-large City Council seats.
David Curtis, interim chairman of the 5th Square, said the endorsements reflects “an opportunity for Philadelphians to elect two highly intelligent, hardworking individuals who will be active members of Council and true assets for the city.”
“Terry Tracy and Andrew Stober each possess a firm grasp of how the city functions — its streets, real estate, utilities, tax structure — as well as how City Hall functions administratively,” Curtis said, “Voters can trust that Terry Tracy and Andrew Stober are ready to go to work for them every day to tackle big issues.”
The 5th Square also endorsed Democrats Blondell Reynolds Brown and Helen Gym in the at-large race as well as Jim Kenney for mayor.
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Kristin Combs, a Green Party candidate for City Council at large, spoke with members and friends of the local party at Green Night Out at a Chinatown restaurant.
“I am running for City Council at large in order to save our public schools,” she said.
Combs, a high school teacher, also backs a $15 an hour minimum wage and a strong, independent civilian review over the police.
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Kevin Dougherty, a Democratic candidate for the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, has a television commercial that touts his plans to expand Veterans Court throughout the state. The court exists in 18 of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties.
The spot features retired U.S. Marine Tim Wynn, who ran afoul of the law shortly after returning home from military service in the Middle East, but successfully completed the Veterans Court program, sparing him from incarceration.
Dougherty, a Common Pleas Court judge from Pine Valley, closes the spot by stating, “I will make sure that Veterans Court is expanded so that every veteran in Pennsylvania has equal access to this system. They fought for our freedom. Now it’s time to fight for theirs.”
Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle and state Rep. Kevin Boyle endorsed Dougherty at a rally for the candidate at his campaign office in Bell’s Corner.
Kevin Boyle said, “Currently, there are no judges on the state Supreme Court from Philadelphia. We need someone who will represent our interests as well, and Judge Dougherty will be that person.”
Afterward, supporters knocked on about 1,000 doors in Bustleton and Somerton.
Also endorsing Dougherty is retired Pennsylvania Supreme Court Chief Justice Stephen Zappala Sr.
In the 30-second spot, Zappala said he’s never previously endorsed a state Supreme Court candidate, but so believes in Dougherty’s candidacy that he wanted to publicly state his support. He also expresses his respect for the fact that Dougherty “volunteered for Family Court.” In describing why Dougherty deserves to be elected to the Supreme Court, he says, “You’ve got to have heart and soul.”
ldquo;I have the utmost respect for Chief Justice Zappala,” Dougherty said. “His unprecedented endorsement and willingness to appear in a campaign commercial means the world to me.”
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A group of Democrats has endorsed Republican Emil Giordano for Superior Court.
The group consists of former Superior Court Judge Robert Freedberg, former Northampton County Court of Common Pleas Judge William Moran, Easton Mayor Salvatore Panto Jr., Whitehall Mayor Ed Hozza, Northampton Mayor om Reenock, North Catasauqua Mayor Bill Molchany Jr. and Bethlehem City Councilmen Eric Evans and Mike Recchiuti.
“I am honored to have the support of these strong and committed local elected officials and that they recognize that I am the best candidate to serve all Pennsylvanians on the Superior Court,” Giordano said. “I have great respect for their work and I truly appreciate their support as I seek to serve all citizens of the commonwealth as a judge on the Pennsylvania Superior Court.”
Giordano serves on the Northampton County Court of Common Pleas, a position he has held since 2003. The Democratic candidate in the race is Alice Beck Dubow, a Philadelphia Common Pleas Court judge.
Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette endorsed Giordano, citing his more varied legal background and their perception that Dubow would legislate from the bench.
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Fourteen county sheriffs have endorsed Republican Paul Lalley for Commonwealth Court.
“As the son of a longtime county sheriff, it is a great honor to have the support of county sheriffs from across the commonwealth,” Lalley said.
Lalley, 45, is an attorney with Campbell, Durrant, Beatty, Palombo and Miller in Allegheny County. The Democratic candidate is Pittsburgh lawyer Michael Wojcik.
Lalley was also endorsed by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, which wrote that his “enthusiasm for the law is apparent and contagious.”
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Democratic U.S. Senate candidate John Fetterman ran a 60-second television advertisement on CNN immediately preceding and during the presidential debate in Pennsylvania’s western markets.
Fetterman is the mayor of Braddock in Allegheny County.
In the ad, titled “Road Map,” Fetterman said, “It must have felt like the end of the world. Almost half the world’s steel was produced here in this valley. The mills fell like dominos. Thousands of people thrown out of work. People warned me, ‘Oh are you sure, you sure you wanna go to Braddock?’
“And what I found was just the opposite. We’ve taken on a degree of challenges here unmatched in any community in Pennsylvania. Bringing basic amenities that most people in this country take for granted. We feed people every day here. We help clothe families. Practical things that matter to people. If there’s a lesson to be taken from Braddock, it’s that no community deserves to be abandoned, no community deserves to be left behind. It’s been a long process. Ten years as mayor. Braddock is a road map to begin to build it back up. To build a stronger Pennsylvania.” ••
