Philly’s Democratic Party pulled off a clean sweep in nine Common Pleas Court elections

Philadelphia judicial elections are often framed as a clash between the local Democratic Party, which sometimes endorses inexperienced or questionable candidates, and the Bar Association of Philadelphia, which says it vets candidates based on their legal experience and other apolitical factors.

This year, the party and the bar were on the same page when it came to who should fill the nine openings on the city’s Common Pleas Court. And they went 9-for-9.

No Republicans have filed to run for any of Philadelphia’s open judgeships this year, meaning the Democratic primary victors are all but guaranteed to win in November.

The bar touted the work of its Judicial Commission, which vets candidates, in a statement titled “NEWS ALERT: Primary Success.”

“These results clearly show the value that voters place on the tireless work of our Judicial Commission,” the bar said in the statement.

Bob Brady, the longtime chair of the Democratic City Committee, has been critical of the bar’s vetting process in the past.

“Maybe they’re starting to take our recommendations, too,” he said. “We did great. We got nine in, and we got two out of the three” in the Municipal Court election, he said.

The winning Common Pleas Court candidates include former State Sen. Larry Farnese, longtime prosecutor Deborah Watson-Stokes, former Prisons Commissioner Leon A. King II, and defense and immigration attorney Irina Ehrlich, who grew up in the Soviet Union before immigrating to the U.S. from Ukraine in 1994.

“The rule of law is very important — due process,” said Ehrlich, who said her grandfather died in a KGB labor camp. “I grew up in a totalitarian country where we did not have it.”

This year’s elections were fairly straightforward in part because Michael Huff — a bar-recommended attorney with backing from progressive groups that often clash with the party — was disqualified over a residency challenge after a judge determined he likely lived outside the city. That cleared the way for a clean sweep by the party-endorsed candidates.

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Ten candidates ended up running for the nine seats, meaning only one candidate fell short: Taniesha Henry, a lawyer who has held several legal roles at Philadelphia Family Court. While she was not backed by the party or recommended by the bar, Henry received a prominent endorsement from District Attorney Larry Krasner.

In a campaign in which he ultimately cruised to victory over challenger Patrick Dugan in his own Democratic primary, Krasner also endorsed a slate of judicial candidates — a move that raised ethical concerns for some, including Dugan, a former Municipal Court judge.

Although Henry lost, Krasner’s other endorsed candidates — Farnese, Watson-Stokes, and Municipal Court candidates Sherrie Cohen and Cortez Patton — all succeeded.

Common Pleas Court is the upper court in Philadelphia’s two-tier system, and its judges oversee major cases, including felony trials and civil lawsuits, while drawing $227,000 salaries.

Brian Kisielewski, an attorney who manages pro bono programs at the Faegre Drinker firm, said he was “very grateful and happy” to prevail after the “wild ride” of running for judge.

“It’s basically competing against people you know, colleagues, people you’ve seen in court,” said Kisielewski, a Roxborough resident who founded the Elder Justice and Civil Resource Center, which offers legal representation to low-income Philadelphians. “It’s a difficult part of it because you don’t want other people to lose.”

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Municipal Court judges, with salaries of $222,000, hear cases involving minor crimes and civil disputes and also decide whether felony cases should go on to full trials in Common Pleas Court. The election for the three openings on the Municipal Court bench this year proved to be more complicated.

The bar recommended only one of the five Municipal Court candidates: Amanda Davidson, a personal injury attorney with the Fine Staud & Levy firm, who was also backed by the party and was the top vote-getter in the primary.

Cohen, who had previously run unsuccessfully for judge and City Council, secured a likely seat on the bench by finishing second, despite not receiving the party’s or the bar’s approval.

Cohen is the daughter of the late Councilmember David Cohen, a Philadelphia liberal icon, and she held the top position on the ballot — a benefit in a race where many candidates had little name recognition with voters.

“That’s what No. 1 ballot position does,” Brady said. “We couldn’t beat the name recognition and No. 1 ballot position.”

Cohen is 70 years old, and Pennsylvania law requires judges to retire at 75, meaning she will not be able to complete her six-year term.

The final Municipal Court spot was won by Patton, a lawyer for State Sen. Anthony Hardy Williams who received the party’s blessing in addition to Krasner’s endorsement.

The only party-endorsed candidate to lose on Tuesday was Shawn K. Page, a lawyer who lost his Municipal Court bid after The Inquirer reported that the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in 2021 issued him a rare public reprimand for mishandling a client’s case.

Staff writer Ryan W. Briggs contributed to this article.