Kevin Brobson
2022 - Present
2032
2
Kevin Brobson (Republican Party) is a judge of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. He assumed office on January 3, 2022. His current term ends on January 5, 2032.
Brobson (Republican Party) ran for election for judge of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. He won in the general election on November 2, 2021.
Biography
Kevin Brobson earned a B.A. in accounting and economics from Lycoming College in 1992 and a J.D. from the Widener University School of Law in 1995. Brobson's career experience includes working as the secretary and chair of the Judicial Conduct Board of Pennsylvania, a shareholder with Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC, and a judicial clerk for former U.S. District Court Judge James McGirr Kelly. He has served with the St. Thomas More Society of Central Pennsylvania Board of Governors, the chair of the Penn State Hershey Four Diamonds Advisory Board, and the chair of the Jump Street Board of Directors.[1]
Elections
2021
See also: Pennsylvania Supreme Court elections, 2021
General election
General election for Pennsylvania Supreme Court
Kevin Brobson defeated Maria McLaughlin in the general election for Pennsylvania Supreme Court on November 2, 2021.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Kevin Brobson (R) | 50.4 | 1,397,100 | |
| Maria McLaughlin (D) | 49.6 | 1,372,182 | ||
| Total votes: 2,769,282 | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Pennsylvania Supreme Court
Maria McLaughlin advanced from the Democratic primary for Pennsylvania Supreme Court on May 18, 2021.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Maria McLaughlin | 100.0 | 945,138 | |
| Total votes: 945,138 | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Pennsylvania Supreme Court
Kevin Brobson defeated Patricia McCullough and Paula A. Patrick in the Republican primary for Pennsylvania Supreme Court on May 18, 2021.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Kevin Brobson | 52.2 | 505,084 | |
| Patricia McCullough | 32.9 | 317,975 | ||
| Paula A. Patrick | 14.9 | 144,291 | ||
| Total votes: 967,350 | ||||
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Candidate profiles
This section includes candidate profiles created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff compiled a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy.[2]
Party: Republican Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office:
Judge, Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court (Assumed office: 2010)
Biography: Brobson earned a B.A. in accounting and economics from Lycoming College in 1992 and a J.D. from the Widener University School of Law in 1995. His career experience includes serving as a Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court judge, and as an attorney in the Harrisburg area and with Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC in Pittsburgh. He served as secretary and chairman of the state Judicial Conduct Board from 2015 to 2019.
Show sources
Sources: Judge Kevin Brobson, Supreme Court, "Home," accessed September 21, 2021, AP News, "Pennsylvania court vacancies allow voters to shape judiciary," July 31, 2021, The Meadville Tribune, "State judicial candidates talk qualifications," August 30, 2021; ''The United Judicial System of Pennsylvania'', "President Judge P. Kevin Brobson," accessed March 19, 2021
This information was current as of the candidate's run for Pennsylvania Supreme Court in 2021.
Campaign finance
2019
See also: Pennsylvania intermediate appellate court elections, 2019
General election
General election for Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court
Incumbent Kevin Brobson won election in the general election for Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court on November 5, 2019.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Kevin Brobson (Nonpartisan) | 100.0 | 1,393,158 | |
| Total votes: 1,393,158 | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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2009
Brobson ran as a Republican for one of two open seats on the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court in 2009.[3]
| Candidate | Incumbent | Party | Primary % | Election % |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Patricia McCullough  |
No | Republican | 37.2% | 28.1% | |
| Kevin Brobson |
No | Republican | 35.1% | 26.1% | |
| Linda Judson | No | Democratic | 23% | ||
| Barbara Ernsberger | No | Democratic | 22.6% |
Campaign themes
2021
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Kevin Brobson did not complete Ballotpedia's 2021 Candidate Connection survey.
Campaign website
Brobson’s campaign website stated the following:
| “ |
"President Judge Kevin Brobson will offer a new voice and perspective to Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court. He will be a voice of reason, a defender of the law as it is written, and a champion of fair and impartial justice. Born and raised in Lycoming County, Kevin is the son of a retired Pennsylvania State Trooper and Air Force veteran and grandson of former Philadelphia Police Officer. His mother worked at the Little League Baseball’s National headquarters in Williamsport. Growing up, his parents taught him that there is no substitute for hard work. Kevin went to college and law school in Central Pennsylvania and then clerked for a federal judge in Philadelphia before becoming an associate with Pittsburgh-headquartered Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney. There he stayed in private practice for 14 years, working in commercial litigation and administrative law, eventually becoming a shareholder and practice group chair in the firm. Since 2010, Kevin has served as a judge on the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, a statewide intermediate appellate court one step below the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. The Commonwealth Court is entrusted with the important responsibility of ensuring that government, at all levels, follows the law. He has not shied away from the controversial cases during his tenure. He has ruled in favor of gun rights, school choice, and, perhaps most notably, the justiciability of constitutional challenges to congressional districts drawn by the state legislature. His colleagues expressed their confidence in his collegiality, professionalism, and leadership when, in December 2020, they elected Kevin to serve as the 10th President Judge of the Commonwealth Court. President Judge Brobson and his wife Lauren are raising their three children in a rural community just outside of Harrisburg, Dauphin County. Kevin is an active and engaged father and husband, often found coaching teams, cheering on the sidelines, running the after-school family shuttle, cooking dinner, and walking the family dogs. The Pennsylvania Bar Association has awarded him its highest rating—highly recommended—for a seat on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court."[4] |
” |
| —Kevin Brobson’s campaign website (2021)[5] | ||
2019
Kevin Brobson did not complete Ballotpedia's 2019 Candidate Connection survey.
Noteworthy cases
Court concludes plaintiffs failed to prove congressional map was unconstitutional
On December 29, 2017, Judge Brobson issued a report concluding that Democratic voters and Democratic groups who had argued that Pennsylvania's 2011 congressional map was unconstitutional had failed to prove their case. The plaintiffs had challenged the 2011 map on the grounds that it violated the Pennsylvania Constitution. The plaintiffs argued that the majority-Republican General Assembly created the 2011 map to favor Republican candidates and deprive Democratic voters of fair representation.[6] The Pennsylvania Supreme Court agreed to expedited review of the case and ordered the Commonwealth Court to issue findings of fact and a recommendation.[6]
In his report, Brobson agreed with the plaintiffs that the Republican-controlled General Assembly had drawn the map to favor Republican candidates. However, he continued, the plaintiffs had not proven that the map violated the state's constitution. He wrote, "Petitioners have not articulated a judicially manageable standard by which this Court can discern whether the 2011 Plan crosses the line between permissible partisan considerations and unconstitutional partisan gerrymandering under the Pennsylvania Constitution."[7]
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court scheduled arguments to consider Brobson's findings and conclusion. The court heard arguments in the case on January 17, 2018.[6] On January 22, 2018, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court struck down the state's congressional district map, finding that the map constituted an illegal partisan gerrymander. On February 19, 2018, the court adopted a remedial map for use in the 2018 election cycle. Pennsylvania Republicans filed suit in federal district court to prevent implementation of the new map. The district court dismissed the suit on March 19, 2018. State Republicans also petitioned the Supreme Court of the United States to stay the state supreme court's order pending appeal. The court rejected this request on March 19, 2018. Click here to read more about this case.
State supreme court judicial selection in Pennsylvania
- See also: Judicial selection in Pennsylvania
The seven justices of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court are selected in partisan elections.[8]
Justices serve 10-year terms, after which they must run in yes-no retention elections if they wish to remain on the court. A separate part of the ballot is designated for these elections, and justices' names appear without respect to party affiliation.[8][9] To learn more about these elections, visit the Pennsylvania judicial elections page.
Qualifications
To serve on the supreme court, a justice must:
- have state residence for at least one year;
- be a member of the state bar; and
- be under the age of 75.[8][10]
Chief justice
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court chooses its chief justice by seniority; the title is held by the longest-serving justice on the court.[8][11]
Vacancies
In the event of a midterm vacancy, the governor appoints a successor who must be approved by a two-thirds vote of the Pennsylvania Senate. Interim justices stand for election at the next municipal election occurring more than 10 months after the vacancy occurred.[8]
By tradition, appointed interim judges of the supreme court, superior court, or court of appeals do not go on to run for permanent seats. In other words, the governor appoints these judges with the expectation that the judge will only fill the interim vacancy.[8]
The map below highlights how vacancies are filled in state supreme courts across the country.
See also
External links
|
Candidate Pennsylvania Supreme Court |
Officeholder Pennsylvania Supreme Court |
Footnotes
- ↑ Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania, "President Judge P. Kevin Brobson," accessed December 12, 2021
- ↑ In battleground primaries, Ballotpedia based its selection of noteworthy candidates on polling, fundraising, and noteworthy endorsements. In battleground general elections, all major party candidates and any other candidates with the potential to impact the outcome of the race were included.
- ↑ Pennsylvania Department of State, 2009 Municipal Election, Judge of the Commonwealth Court results
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Judge Kevin Brobson, "MEET JUDGE KEVIN BROBSON," accessed September 29, 2021
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 The Seattle Times, "No proof congressional map is unconstitutional, judge says," December 29, 2017
- ↑ Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court, "League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania v. Pennsylvania," December 29, 2017
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Pennsylvania," archived October 3, 2014
- ↑ The Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania, "In Re: Nomination Papers of Marakay Rogers, Christina Valente and Carl J. Romanelli," November 7, 2006
- ↑ 2018 Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, "Title 42, Chapter 33, Section 3351," accessed August 25, 2020
- ↑ The Pennsylvania Code, "Chapter 7. Assignment of Judges," accessed September 3, 2014
Federal courts:
Third Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Middle District of Pennsylvania, Western District of Pennsylvania • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Middle District of Pennsylvania, Western District of Pennsylvania
State courts:
Supreme Court of Pennsylvania • Pennsylvania Superior Court • Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court • Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas • Pennsylvania Magisterial Districts
State resources:
Courts in Pennsylvania • Pennsylvania judicial elections • Judicial selection in Pennsylvania