Candidates vie for seats on the bench in two magisterial districts
Two candidates will face off in the race for South Union Township and Menallen Township magisterial judge, and two others will vie for the same seat in Masontown in the general election.
In Masontown and surrounding areas, the two balloted candidates are Republican Charity Grimm-Krupa and Democrat Dan Shimshock.
Grimm-Krupa said she’s overwhelmed by the support she’s received throughout the campaign, and she’s learned a lot.
“This experience has taught me that if you want to make a difference, you have to make educated decisions on who you are voting for,” said Grimm-Krupa.
She said she wants voters to know she’s much more than an attorney. With firm roots in the community and what she called a simple agricultural upbringing, Grimm-Krupa said, “Just because I’m an attorney doesn’t mean I can’t come to the table with common sense and work hard.”
Grimm-Krupa said she’s not a politician and her lack of political connections will enable her to be fair and objective on the bench.
Shimshock, a German Township supervisor and former educator said, “I’m really ready to roll up my sleeves and serve the public on day one.”
He pointed to his record of community involvement, from the Albert Gallatin Education Foundation to his two-time appointment to the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission, which establishes economic development priorities for a 10-county region.
Shimshock said his certification through the state’s Minor Judiciary Legal Education Board demonstrates he is trained and capable to perform the duties of magistrate, and stressed that the majority of magisterial justices throughout the state are not attorneys.
Voters in South Union and Menallen will choose between Democrat Jennifer Jeffries and Republican Earl Wright on Nov. 3.
Jeffries has been chief of staff for state Rep. Tim Mahoney, D-South Union Township, for the past five years.
She said it’s important for voters to keep in mind that she’s the only candidate in the race for South Union and Menallen magisterial judge to obtain certification from the state Supreme Court.
“I can sit on that bench as soon as I’m elected,” Jeffries said. “I think the taxpayers deserve to get what they voted for.”
Jeffries said her campaign has been very energetic, and she very grateful for all the support she’s had so far.
If elected, Jeffries said she would serve full time, and be ready to work around the clock.
Wright said voters should consider the qualifications of each candidate carefully and select the one with the right experience.
Wright was a Uniontown City Police officer for nearly 30 years, and retired as a captain in 2001. In that time, he said he spent hundreds, if not thousands, of hours in magisterial and common pleas courts.
After serving in the US Army in Iraq and Afghanistan, Wright retired as a command sergeant major. In his military career, Wright said he was a leader with hundreds of men in his charge.
He and his wife have also operated two businesses, and raised four sons.
Wright said he has appreciated the willingness of people to listen and hear what he has to say as he has gone door-to-door, introducing himself to voters. The feedback he’s gotten has left him feeling confident heading into the general election, he said.