Blair County Common Pleas Court Judge Wade Kagarise, a Republican, will run for Superior Court next year.
There are expected to be three openings on Superior Court in 2017.
Kagarise describes himself as a “constitutional conservative” who strongly opposes judicial activism. He previously served as the chief deputy in the Blair County District Attorney’s Office.
In a letter to Republican State Committee members who will oversee the party’s judicial endorsement process, Kagarise wrote, “The big question posed in next year’s Superior Court election is whether conservative values will be represented, or whether a new era of progressive ideologues will join the bench. The answer will determine the direction of our courts for years to come.”
The 43-year-old Kagarise is a graduate of the Widener University School of Law and Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He is also a veteran of the U.S. Army Reserves.
Starting in December, the Republican Party of Pennsylvania will have a series of meetings around the state that will allow candidates for Supreme, Superior and Commonwealth courts to meet grassroots activists and present their qualifications.
The state party’s winter meeting, when it will endorse candidates, will take place Feb. 3–4 at the Hershey Lodge. ••
