4 district judge seats in Westmoreland County have contested primary races this spring

A quarter of Westmoreland County’s 16 district courts will see a new judge in 2022.

Eleven candidates are seeking four contested seats on the local courts seeking to replace three retiring judges and fill one seat left vacant by a resignation. Judicial candidates are permitted to cross-file and all will appear Tuesday on both Republican and Democratic primary ballots.

District judges serve six-year terms. They earn $93,338 a year.

Three candidates are seeking to replace Hempfield District Judge Anthony Bompiani, who resigned in December. The office covers South Greensburg, Southwest Greensburg, Youngwood and portions of Hempfield.

Two candidates are vying for the Penn Township and Trafford seat held by three-term incumbent Helen Kistler, who announced she will retire at year’s end.

Two candidates are running to replace Unity District Judge Michael Mahady, who turns 75 and will retire at the end of the year. The district includes Latrobe, Youngstown Borough, Unity and part of Mt. Pleasant Township.

Derry District Judge Mark Bilik has served five full terms in office and will not seek reelection. Three candidates are attempting to replace him in the district that includes Derry Borough, Derry Township and New Alexandria.

Incumbent Hempfield District Judge Mark Mansour is unopposed in his bid to win a fifth term in office.

Derry

Kelly Tua Hammers, 50, of Derry Township, is making her second bid for district judge. Bilik narrowly defeated her in 2015.

Hammers, a registered Democrat, has worked as an assistant county prosecutor for 24 years. She specializes in prosecutions of sexual assaults, civil asset forfeiture cases and juvenile crimes. She also serves as an instructor for the Municipal Police Academy at Westmoreland County Community College teaching criminal law, civil law, search and seizure and legal updates.

Hammers is a Derry Area Senior High School graduate and holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Pittsburgh and a law degree from Dickinson School of Law.

“I don’t think of this position as an entry-level job. I’ve been in the courtroom and know as a judge you should know the law,” Hammers said.

Janelle L. Hood, 51, of Derry Township, previously served as a Blairsville police officer, deputy coroner and emergency management specialist with NASA at facilities in Ohio. She teaches emergency management at Community College of Allegheny County.

Hood, a Republican, holds a bachelor’s degree from Colorado Technical University and is working towards a master’s degree from Georgetown University.

“I think I’d do a great job,” Hood said. “If you go by just resumes, I have the qualifications over the other two (candidates).”

Amy Altman McChesney, 42, of Derry Township, formerly worked as a district judge secretary and a clerk in the county Clerk of Courts office. She now is a secretary for a private business.

McChesney, a Republican, studied psychology and general administration of justice at Saint Vincent College. She said her work experience will enable her to evaluate issues without bias.

“Magistrates should be the last line of defense in the court system before lawyers take over. It’s an advantage for an average, reasonable person to appear before a magistrate and not be taken advantage of by the court system,” McChesney said.

Unity

The race to replace Mahady includes the judge’s cousin, who works as a county assistant public defender, and a behavioral health caseworker who has clients involved with district court cases.

Tamara Mahady, 32, of Latrobe, worked for two years as a criminal defense lawyer with the county’s public defender’s office before she left and spent five years as an attorney in the state’s general counsel’s office handling transportation cases. She returned to the public defender’s office in December.

Mahady, a Republican, is a graduate of Seton Hill University and law school at Northern Ohio University.

“The district judge position not only takes an individual who has common sense but also someone who has experience and knowledge in the law,” Mahady said. “As a practicing attorney, I automatically get to do the job on Day 1.”

Opponent Rebecca Salandro is a caseworker with Westmoreland Case Management and Support and assists clients in dealings with district court system.

Salandro, 39, of Unity, is a registered Republican. She said she has a diverse background working with the clients with mental health and behavioral issues as well as experience serving as their liaison in district court proceedings.

She holds a master’s degree in education from Seton Hill University and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh. She is a member of the county’s criminal justice advisory board.

“You don’t need a law background to effectively serve as a district judge. You need life experiences and common sense, which means as much, if not more, than having a legal background,” Salandro said.

Penn Township

A borough councilman, county prosecutor and casino security professional are seeking to replace Kistler.

Trafford Council President Kris Cardiff said he’s gained hands-on experience working for the community as an elected official and as a full-time buyer for Hamill Manufacturing in Penn Township.

He downplayed the legal experience of one of his opponents.

“You know what you are getting from Day 1 because I’ve proven myself. A magisterial district judge is intended to be a judge of the people, someone from the community,” Cardiff said.

Cardiff, 44, previously served as the vice chairman of Westmoreland County’s Republican committee and remains a registered Republican.

Georgia Snowden, 50, of Penn Township, is running for the second time to serve as district judge. She was defeated by Kistler in 2015. She previously served as a clerk for a district judge in Allegheny County and currently works in security at Live! Casino Pittsburgh at the Westmoreland Mall.

Snowden, a Republican, said she completed a required district justice course for non lawyers and has maintained her certification annually.

She said she will lobby to have district court hours extended.

“The education you receive from the minor judiciary course is everything a judge handles in district court,” Snowden said.

Rebecca Calisti Tyburski, 45, of Penn Township, has worked as an assistant county prosecutor since 2002. She specializes in child abuse and sexual assault cases.

A registered Republican, she was born and raised in Jeannette, earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Pittsburgh and graduated from the Duquesne University law school.

She said her duties as an assistant district attorney provide essential experience needed to serve as a district judge.

“You need legal experience and knowledge to be able to adjudicate the law so it’s fair for all people,” Tyburski said.

Hempfield

Two law enforcement officials and a township supervisor are the candidates seeking to replace Bompiani.

South Greensburg Police Chief Scott Fanchalsky, 49, said his experience as the head of a local police department, where he’s worked for 27 years, including 21 as the chief, puts him ahead of his two opponents in terms of experience.

“I still enjoy what I do for a living and it’s the right next step to continue to serve, only in a larger capacity,” Fanchalsky said.

Fanchalsky is a registered Republican and lives in Hempfield. He graduated from the Municipal Police Academy. He is a member of the South Greensburg Volunteer Fire Department and F.O.P. Lodge #39. He also serves as a member of the Attorney General’s Task Force.

Irvin Shipley, 53, of Youngwood has worked as a county deputy sheriff since 2011. He has most recently been assigned as the county’s representative to the U.S. Marshal’s Fugitive Task Force.

Shipley, a registered Republican, touted what he said are a unique set of qualifications. Those include his work tracking fugitives, filing charges and testifying in court.

“I’ve worked in all of the districts, and I know the community and its own problems. I know each community in the district and their unique needs,” Shipley said.

Doug Weimer, 50, is serving his fourth six-year term as a Hempfield supervisor. Weimer, a Republican, works as an art teacher in the Norwin School District. He previously served as members of several nonprofit boards and community organizations.

“I have a passion for the local community,” Weimer said. “I’m the only candidate not serving in law enforcement, and I’m unquestionably unbiased because I have not been a part of law enforcement in this district.”