15 Primary VOTERS’ GUIDE MONDAY, MAY 11, 2015 Christine DONOHUE Age: 62 About the candidate: After appearing in courtrooms for 27 years as a lawyer, Donohue was elected in 2007 to serve on the Superior Court. She has decided more than 2,000 appeals by written decisions. Robert COLVILLE Age: 49 About the candidate: Colville is an Allegheny County Court judge. He is also a member of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to the Court of Judicial Discipline of Pennsylvania. Todd EAGEN Age: 47 About the candidate: A partner in a Lackawanna County-based firm, Eagen and his colleagues specialize in representing unions across Pennsylvania. They represent the Pennsylvania State Troopers Association and Pennsylvania State Corrections Officers Association. James R. HAINES Jr. (J.R. HAINES on ballot) - constable of Lancaster city’s 8th Ward Adam WITKONIS - attorney Miles BIXLER - West Hempfield Township police corporal Robert L. BUZZENDORE JR. - attorney at Hoffmeyer & Semmelman in York William GENETTI - Lancaster city police officer Mark G. PUGLIESE - West Hempfield Township police chief Deborah L. GREATHOUSE - Lancaster County assistant district attorney Ray SHELLER - Parkesburg Borough constable J.R. HAINES - see above Adam WITKONIS - see above Ronald T. GRENKO* - physician at Downtown Family Medicine Craig M. HUMMER* - residential loan officer at Metro Bank Caroline LALVANI* - director of community affairs and special events at E-town College Mike NICODEMUS - new business coordinator for UGI Utilities Terry L. SEIDERS* - supervisor of regional operations at First Energy Karen SWEIGART - real estate agent with Sweigart Partnership Miles BIXLER - see above Robert L. BUZZENDORE JR. - see above William GENETTI - see above Mark G. PUGLIESE - see above Deborah L. GREATHOUSE - see above Ray SHELLER - see above Anne E. LAZARUS Age: 62 About the candidate: Lazarus was elected to her current position as a Superior Court judge in 2009. Since her election, she has written more than 2,000 memos and opinions and has been recognized for providing pro bono legal service. Cheryl ALLEN Age: 67 About the candidate: Allen started her career as a teacher before becoming a lawyer. After practicing the law for 15 years, she got her first position as a judge in 1990. She became the first black woman to be elected to the Pennsylvania Superior Court. Judy OLSON Age: 57 About the candidate: Olson currently serves on the Pennsylvania Superior Court. Prior to her election to the higher court, she served on the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, where she presided over numerous civil matters. Kevin M. DOUGHERTY Age: 51 About the candidate: Dougherty has served as a judge on the Court of Common Pleas since 2001. He previously served as administrative judge of Philadelphia Family Court for nearly a decade. Alice Beck DUBOW Age: 56 About the candidate: Dubow has served as judge in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas for the past seven years. She began her public service as an assistant city solicitor for the City of Philadelphia in 1992. Michael WOJCIK Age: 50 About the candidate: Wojcik is an Allegheny County attorney who also serves as solicitor for the Allegheny County Airport Authority. He served as Allegheny County solicitor for eight years. David WECHT Age: 52 About the candidate: Wecht has served on the Superior Court of Pennsylvania since 2012. Prior to that he served as a trial judge on the Court of Common Pleas for Pennsylvania, presiding extensively in both the civil and family divisions. Anne COVEY Age: 55 About the candidate: Covey was elected to the Commonwealth Court in 2011. Prior to her election, she served on the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board for over a decade. Correale STEVENS Age: 68 About the candidate: Stevens, then president judge of the state Superior Court, was nominated in June 2013 to fill the term of former Justice Melvin. He served for four years as Luzerne County district attorney, and ran for his position as judge in 1991. John Henry FORADORA Age: 48 About the candidate: Foradora is president judge in Jefferson County and is one of four state judges on the Strategic Planning Workshop of the Pennsylvania Sentencing Commission. Dwayne D. WOODRUFF Age: 58 About the candidate: Woodruff is a judge on the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, presiding primarily over juvenile cases. He began practicing law in 1988 while playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Mike GEORGE Age: 56 About the candidate: Currently in his second 10-year term as a Adams County Court judge, George presides over a range of civil and criminal cases. He also serves as chairman of the county’s Criminal Justice Advisory Board. Rebecca WARREN Age: 48 About the candidate: Warren is district attorney for Montour County. Throughout her 24-year legal career, she has appeared in front of state, federal and county courts on thousands of cases. For a roundup of stories on next week’s election, visit http://bit.ly/lancastervotes2015 MAGISTERIAL DISTRICT JUDGES Three areas of Lancaster County feature contested primaries for magisterial district judge. Magisterial district judges receive an annual salary of $88,290 and serve six years. They handle arraignments, minor criminal offenses, traffic citations and nontraffic ordinance violations, marriage ceremonies, emergency protection-from-abuse petitions and civil cases up to $12,000. While they do not have to be lawyers, they are required to complete a training course offered by the state and attend 32 hours of continuing-education courses each year. Many of the candidates have cross-filed for the positions, meaning they will appear on both the Democratic and Republican ballots. Candidate’s current profession listed. Contested primaries are as follows: SCHOOL BOARD RACES Six local school districts feature contested primaries on at least one party’s ballot this spring. Candidate’s profession listed. *Incumbent seeking re-election Contested races are as follows: District 2-1-01 Lancaster city’s southwest quadrant that includes the 4th and 8th wards Elizabethtown Six candidates are seeking the Republican nomination for five seats. They are: District 2-1-03 Columbia and Mountville boroughs and West Hempfield Township District 2-3-05 Bart, Caernarvon, Leacock, Paradise, Sadsbury and Salisbury townships PENNSYLVANIA SUPERIOR COURT The Superior Court is one of Pennsylvania’s two statewide intermediate appellate courts. The court consists of 15 judges who get an annual salary of $191,926 and serve 10-year terms. This court reviews most of the civil and criminal cases that are appealed from the Courts of Common Pleas in the state’s 67 counties. A huge volume of appeals flow to Superior Court from the trial courts. Generally, appeals are heard by panels of three judges sitting in Harrisburg, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. This court often is the final arbiter of legal disputes, although the Supreme Court may grant a petition for review of a Superior Court decision. There are two candidates seeking the Democratic nomination for one seat. They are: PENNSYLVANIA COMMONWEALTH COURT The Commonwealth Court is one of Pennsylvania’s two statewide intermediate appellate courts. The court consists of nine judges who get an annual salary of $191,926 and serve 10-year terms. This court is generally limited to legal matters involving state and local government and regulatory agencies. Litigation typically focuses on such subjects as banking, insurance, utility regulation, land-use, elections, labor practices and workers’ compensation. Cases are generally heard by panels of three judges sitting in Harrisburg, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. There are two candidates seeking the Democratic nomination for one seat. They are: PENNSYLVANIA SUPREME COURT The Supreme Court is the highest court in the commonwealth. The court consists of seven judges who get an annual salary of $203,409 and serve 10-year terms. This court is considered the court of last resort, taking appeals from lower courts. Cases are generally heard by panels sitting in Harrisburg, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. There are three Supreme Court vacancies. They were created by the retirements of Chief Justice Ronald Castille, who reached the mandatory retirement age of 70 last year, and Justice Seamus McCafferty, who stepped down last year to avoid an investigation into pornographic emails. Justice Joan Orie Melvin, who was convicted in 2013 of using her staff to run her campaign, resigned. There are six candidates seeking the Democratic and Republican nominations for three seats. They are: DEM nominees DEM nominees DEM nominees DEM nominees DEM nominees DEM nominees GOP nominees GOP nominees GOP nominees GOP nominees GOP nominees This guide may be taken into the voting booth Polls open 7 a.m. - 8 p.m. Tuesday, May 19 Contested races are as follows: 2