Fear of a potential anti-incumbent backlash in Tuesday's election spurred Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice Max Baer to raise more than $420,000, even though he is unopposed and seeking voters' support for another 10-year term, his campaign treasurer said Monday.
Baer's advisers were concerned that voters angry over the recent partial shutdown of the federal government pose a threat to his future on the state's high court, said the treasurer, Frederick Frank.
"We did not want to take the people of Pennsylvania for granted,'' he said. "We thought it was important to get Justice Baer's message out in view of that concern.''
The goal was to raise enough money to air TV ads, Frank said, and Baer's campaign finance reports show most of it came in during the last few weeks. The donors were primarily law firms and wealthy individuals and groups, including the Committee for a Better Tomorrow, the political arm of the Philadelphia Trial Lawyers Association, which gave $150,000.
"These are the people who have an opportunity to observe Justice Baer and see how he has functioned as a Supreme Court justice,'' Frank said of the trial lawyers.
Chief Justice Ronald Castille, who is also standing for "retention'' in a yes-or-no vote, raised at least $179,000. His campaign did not return a phone message seeking comment.
The two other judges standing for retention Tuesday _ Superior Court judges Susan Gantman and Jack Panella _ reported no political contributions this year, their reports show.
Judges are rarely turned down for retention on the bench. The last time it occurred was in 2005, when voters angry over a government pay raise that had been secretively approved by the Legislature, denied Supreme Court Justice Russell Nigro a second term.
A small turnout is anticipated as Pennsylvania voters prepare to elect a new judge to the state Superior Court and fill numerous local offices and judgeships.
The Superior Court contest is the only statewide race on the ballot, but voters in communities including Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, Scranton, Lancaster and State College are electing mayors. Political observers predict a turnout as low as 20 percent.
In the Superior Court race, a state bar panel Friday asked Republican candidate Vic Stabile to take down what it considers a misleading ad that implies nepotism was involved in the hiring of Democrat Jack McVay's fiancee and sister-in-law by the Allegheny County court.
McVay, an Allegheny County judge, says that's not true. Stabile, a Harrisburg lawyer, insists it is and confirmed Monday that the ad is still on the air.
Visit the Philadelphia Votes website for more information on Tuesday's election.
