Election 2023: Endorsements For Five Judgeships

CHESTER COUNTY —The Democratic and the Republican committees have endorsed judicial candidates in the May 16 primary to fill five vacancies on the 13-judge bench.

Each party endorsed five candidates to serve 10-year terms. A judge earns an annual salary of $197,119.

May 1 is the last day to register before the primary election. May 9 is the last day to register for a mail-in or absentee ballot.

Most judicial candidates cross-file with both parties in the primary. If a candidate wins both the Republican and Democratic nominations, he or she runs unopposed in the general election in November.

The Republican party endorsed these candidates:

• Judge Lou Mincarelli: Mincarelli was nominated by former Gov. Tom Wolf to fill a vacancy and confirmed by the Senate.

• Dave Black: Black has 18 years of experience practicing commercial, employment, and small business law. He is also chairman of the Thornbury Township Planning Commission
• Don Kohler: Kohler has 25 years of experience working as a general practitioner in estate planning, adoption, and other family court matters as a prosecutor and civil litigation. He has also served as a public defender and private defense attorney
• P.J. Redman: Redman has three decades of experience, as a private attorney and public defender.
• Andy Rongaus: Rongaus has experience as a government attorney in criminal and civil practices areas. prosecutor, and civil litigator.

The Democratic party endorsed these candidates:

• Sarah Black: Black has worked for 14 years as a public defender in Montgomery, Berks, and Chester counties.
• Judge Nicole Forzato: Forzato was appointed to a judgeship in May to fill a vacancy. She has experience in criminal, civil, and family court.
• Sheriff Fredda Maddox: Sheriff Maddox worked in the Chester County court system as a lawyer and law enforcement officer.
• Thomas “Tip” McCabe: McCabe worked as an assistant public defender, conflicts counsel, and civil litigator.
• District Attorney Deb Ryan: Ryan worked as a prosecutor in Philadelphia and Chester County courts, and was elected district attorney in Chester County in 2019.