judgesonmerit.org

An article in Wednesday’s St. Petersburg Times describes two judicial races where the campaign rhetoric is getting partisan – and personal – fast. While these races are supposed to be nonpartisan, personal attacks and statements about political leanings are raising eyebrows, as well as questions about how far candidates in these races can go when trying to sour voters’ opinions of their opponents.

When judges have to conduct (or endure) negative campaigns, politics becomes the focus. It discourages otherwise qualified candidates from running if they don’t have the connections and funds to run a strong political campaign. The message is clear. To be a judge, you also have to be a skilled politician.

Merit Selection relieves judicial candidates from the burden of campaigning. It lets judges be judges, by shifting the focus  back to each candidate’s abilities and qualifications. No plan for judicial selection can eliminate politics from the process, but we can prevent it from being a job requirement for a seat on the appellate bench in Pennsylvania.

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