PENNSYLVANIA — State and municipal primaries are coming up soon. Here’s what you need to know.

An important election year

Every year is an election year. And yet many voters in the U.S. opt to only cast votes in congressional and presidential elections every two and four years. Free of the attention-grabbing headlines, name-calling and other forms of drama that accompany runs for the White House and the legislature, state and municipal election years are often marked by quieter campaigns and lower voter turnouts.

Wayne County, according to Bureau of Elections Director Cindy Furman, has seen municipal primary turnouts as low as 20 percent in the past.

And yet, it is often these “off years” when voters have the opportunity to make decisions about issues that will have the most direct, daily effect on their lives. With a much smaller pool of voters than in state and federal elections, individual votes can have much more of an impact. Wayne County residents might remember four years ago, when Jocelyn Cramer unseated then-commissioner Wendell Kay by a mere 10 votes.

This year, Wayne and Pike residents are tasked with choosing their future county commissioners, school directors and local township and borough officials. All Pennsylvanians, meanwhile, will be voting for the justices who will occupy the PA Supreme Court and the Commonwealth Court—courts that could have the state’s final verdict on issues like a woman’s right to choose, gun ownership, gerrymandering and more.

Judicial elections

Pennsylvania is one of seven states that selects their justices through partisan elections, rather than appointment by the governor or another apolitical process. PA’s candidates are in fact affiliated with a political party, and they can solicit endorsements and (though not directly) raise campaign funds.

Once elected, justices serve 10-year terms. After their first decade of serving is up, they can run for retention via a simple “yes” or “no” question on the next election’s ballot, without reference to their party affiliation. This reelection system was designed to separate justices from political party pressures once they were on the bench.

According to Spotlight PA, party endorsements and ratings from the PA Bar Association play a big role in judicial election winners, especially since candidates do less face-to-face campaigning than those running for executive or legislative office.

Commonwealth Court candidates

The nine-member court—which recently decided in a landmark case that PA’s education funding system was unconstitutional—has just one open seat this year with two candidates from both parties in the race. Note that neither of the two Democratic candidates have received their parties’ nomination.

Bryan Neft, Democrat, works as an attorney in commercial litigation. The PA Bar Association rated him recommended.

Matthew Wolf, Democrat, is a judge on the Philadelphia Municipal Court. The PA Bar Association rated him recommended.

Megan Martin, Republican, is the former parliamentarian of the PA Senate. The state Republican Party has endorsed her as its primary candidate, and the PA Bar Association rated her recommended.

Joshua Prince, Republican, runs a firm specializing in pro-gun litigation. The PA Bar Association rated him not recommended, citing a lack of “depth and breadth of experience and preparation necessary to take on the commanding role of judge on the Commonwealth Court.”

PA Supreme Court candidates

The commonwealth’s Supreme Court doesn’t take on as many cases as lower courts do. However, the ones they do decide on can have important and lasting impacts. In the recent past, the state Supreme Court has handed down decisions about the state’s electoral process, COVID-19 safety measures and reproductive rights. There is currently one vacant seat on the seven-member bench.

Daniel McCaffery, Democrat, was elected the state’s Superior Court judge in 2019. He’s been endorsed by the state Democrats, and the PA Bar Association rated him highly recommended.

Deborah Kunselman, Democrat, was elected to the Superior Court in 2017 and prior to that served on the Court of Common Pleas since 2005. The PA Bar Association rated her highly recommended.

Carolyn Carluccio, Republican, has been a judge on the Montgomery Court of Common Pleas since 2009. She has received the Republican Party’s endorsement and was rated highly recommended by the PA Bar Association.

Patricia McCullough, Republican, is a judge on the Commonwealth Court. Her website describes her as “the sole candidate in the race who had been praised by President Trump.” In 2020, she tried ordering state officials to stop certifying election results before getting her order dismissed by a higher court. She declined to answer the PA Bar Association’s questionnaire; however, in previous campaigns, she’s been rated not recommended.

Local elections

Every four years, Wayne and Pike County residents vote for the members of their respective three-person Boards of Commissioners. Brian Smith, the long-time chairman of the Wayne County Commissioners, has described the commissioners’ role as administrative, rather than legislative. The board’s biggest responsibilities include working out the county’s yearly budget. This job not only involves making sure that annual spending is balanced, but gives the commissioners the power to invest money into areas they deem the highest priority.

Primary voters will choose two candidates from their respective parties to proceed to the General Election.

Wayne County Commissioner candidates

Jocelyn Cramer, Democrat, became Wayne County’s first female commissioner after a close race in 2019. Prior to becoming a commissioner, Cramer worked in theater, for nonprofits, for hospitals, in the restaurant industry and in financial services.

Michael Dougherty, Democrat, was elected to the Hawley Borough Council eight years ago and has served on several committees: health and safety, police, parks and recreation, and landlord/tenant.

Brian Smith, Republican, has served on the Board of Commissioners for 17 years. He has said he brings a “working man’s approach” to the job. He still operates a family dairy farm and drives a school bus.

James Shook, Republican, was recently appointed as commissioner to replace former commissioner Joe Adams after the latter’s election to the state legislature. Shook is a long-time business owner in the area. He has owned and operated the Lake Region IGA supermarket for over 20 years. He’s also served on the board of directors for the Chamber of the Northern Poconos as well as the Wayne County Investment Board.

Jacob Hanna, Republican, worked in electronics and satellite communications for the Department of Defense. He has since resigned in order to run for commissioner. In a campaign video, he criticized the current commissioners’ recent tax reassessment as “questionable.” He said he will cut every “department and agency budget possible” before voting to raise taxes. He also calls himself pro-life and pro-gun.

The River Reporter will be diving deeper into more local elections in Wayne and Pike counties in the coming month. For the full, unofficial list of local candidates in this year’s primary, visit www.waynecountypa.gov and www.pikepa.org.

Residents have until Monday, May 1 to register to vote in the Tuesday, May 16 primary elections. The last day to apply for a mail-in or absentee ballot is Tuesday, May 9.