Common Pleas Judicial Endorsement 2023 Primary Analysis

Since 2017, Reclaim Philadelphia has made endorsements for judicial candidates running for seats on the Philadelphia Courts.

Our communities deserve judges who understand public safety isn’t something we achieve by locking up enough people in cages. Judges are critical fixtures of the prison industrial complex, and in that system they hold a tremendous amount of power over our lives and our communities. This election cycle we have the chance to elect judges who profess our shared values.

As we’ve seen with the recent Pennsylvania school funding court case and the dismissal of the FOP lawsuit against Driving Equality legislation, judges can have an outsized impact on the horizon of what’s legally possible. This goes from the individual level in terms of reducing sentences to the systemic in terms of case law.

Through seeking input from candidates, allied Black & brown led mass liberation organizations, legal organizations and our members, Reclaim’s Steering Committee has developed a slate of 10 Common Pleas judge candidates. We recommend these candidates for endorsement because we believe they will have the most positive impact on an institution that enables mass incarceration — an institution derived from forces designed to uphold chattel slavery and suppress organized labor. We must also continue to understand public safety in terms of housing, jobs, healthcare, food, and community.

This slate of judicial candidates includes public defenders, labor lawyers, and champions of voting and housing justice in the courts. The majority women slate reflects the diversity of our city and includes only candidates “recommended” or “highly recommended” by the Philadelphia Bar Association.

#8 Natasha Taylor-Smith

#9 Caroline Turner

#10 Ken Joel

#12 Tamika Washington

#15 Samantha Williams

#17 Will Braveman

#18 Wade Albert

#20 Jessica Brown

#21 Kay Yu

#23 John Padova

Read our Analysis on our endorsement of Helen Gym for Mayor

Read our Analysis on City Council District Endorsements