White Oak resident in tight Commonwealth Court race

By JEFF STITT

jstitt@yourmvi.com

Judge David Spurgeon offered a brief statement Thursday on his close race for a Democratic Party nomination for Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court.

Philadelphia Judge Lori Dumas has already secured a party nod for  November, but Spurgeon and Allegheny County lawyer Amanda Green-Hawkins are in a tight race for the second nomination.

As of 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Spurgeon was leading in the race for the second nomination with 443,511 votes, according to unofficial results from the Pennsylvania Department of State.  Green-Hawkins, originally from Jersey City, N.J., had 428,094 votes and Philadelphia Common Pleas Court Judge Sierra Street had 295,830. 

On his campaign Facebook page Thursday afternoon, Spurgeon, a White Oak resident and 1989 graduate of McKeesport Area High School, said votes are still being counted.

“Thank you to the number of people that have reached out regarding the election vote totals,” he wrote. “We haven’t been able to respond to many of you because the vote continues to be tabulated in various places throughout the Commonwealth. Once we have more conclusive information, we will let you know.”

The nine- member court handles lawsuits and appeals involving state and governmental agencies. Those elected to the court serve a term of 10 years.

In an email Thursday, Green-Hawkins’ campaign manager Jann Chirdon said, “we are in same position as Judge Spurgeon.”

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