Candidates

Meet the Democratic candidates who will be on the ballot in Bucks County this year

The Candidates

School Boards, Township Supervisors, Borough Councils and other local offices

In recent years, Republicans have made a concerted effort to pour money and resources into local offices that they know voters pay less attention to. In 2021, the far-right won a majority on multiple school boards in Bucks County and immediately implemented hateful policies attacking marginalized students and faculty.

 The goal of the far-right is to elect the most extreme candidates to local offices who will not only bring their culture war politics to our local governments but will also gain a foothold in government that allows them to run for higher office in the future. Vote for Democrats up and down the ballot and ensure our school boards, our municipalities, our county, and our courts are in the hands of rational, reasonable leaders!

To learn more about your local Democratic candidates and to hear from them directly, contact your local Democratic organization

Bucks County Commissioner

Bob Harvie and Diane Marsgelia are the incumbent majority commissioners in Bucks County and are both endorsed by the Bucks County Democratic Committee. All three commissioner seats are on the ballot in 2023. Vote for both Bob and Diane to keep Democrats in the majority!
Bob Harvie for Bucks County Commissioner

Bob Harvie

Diane Ellis Marseglia for County Commissioner

Diane Ellis-Marseglia

About Bob Harvie and Diane Marseglia

Bob Harvie and Diane Marseglia are lifelong residents of Bucks County. Diane was raised in Lower Makefield, and now resides in Middletown Township, while Bob was raised in Bristol Borough and currently lives in Falls Township.

Before being elected as Commissioners, Diane worked as a clinical social worker, working with children and families in Bucks County for more than two decades. She has brought that belief that human services is an integral part of local government to her role as Commissioner, as she helped successfully rebuild our County Mental Health Care Crisis Center.

Bob served families in Bucks County for over 20 years as a teacher and chairman of the Social Studies Department at Bucks County Technical High School (BCTHS). Bob’s time as a teacher informs his commitment to creating a better Bucks County for families and future generations.

Bucks County Row Offices

Four of the nine row offices that perform essential functions for county residents are on the ballot. These are the four Democrats endorsed by the Bucks County Democratic Committee.
Eileen Albillar for Clerk of Courts

Eileen Albillar

Clerk of Courts

About Eileen Albillar

Eileen Hartnett Albillar, MSW is a Social Worker with twenty years’ experience in advocacy, leadership, management, and administration in both non-profit and government organizations. Eileen returned to Bucks County in 2010 to raise her family with her husband. She currently serves as the Director of Community Engagement with the Bucks County Opportunity Council. In addition, she served on the Warrington Township Board of Supervisors since 2018. She looks forward to applying her experience as a social worker, township supervisor, and as director of community engagement to the Clerk of Courts office. 

Kris Ballerini for Bucks County Treasurer

Kris Ballerini

Treasurer

About Kris Ballerini

Kris and her husband Rocco call Bucks County home after raising their two daughters in the Pennsbury School District.  An advocate for victims of crime for ten years, she continues to use her voice to speak for those who cannot.  With nearly fifteen years in branch banking, she was prepared when she took on the role as Treasurer in 2020 to handle all cash operations of the County.  In her time as Treasurer she has improved, streamlined and modernized the office which allowed for increased revenue to the bottom line.  An avid reader, she spends her Thursday evenings in the Newtown Bookshop where she sells banned books.

Linda Bobrin for Register of Wills

Linda Bobrin

Register of Wills

About Linda Bobrin

Linda Bobrin is an attorney and small business owner who maintained a legal practice for many years. She was elected as a Newtown Township Supervisor and was then elected to county office, having been elected as the Bucks County Register of Wills and Clerk of Orphans’ Court, beginning her current term in January of 2020. During her tenure as Register of Wills, she has worked to make her office more efficient by making many of the procedures paperless and more customer friendly. In addition, she has begun a free wedding program for veterans and first responders. Weddings for Heroes includes full weddings from “soup to nuts” for our local heroes as well as a Valentines Day wedding program for the entire community.

Patti Campi

Coroner

About Patti Campi

Patti Campi is a lifelong Democrat who has resided in Bucks County for the past 45 years. She is a small business owner of a union carpentry company which she runs with her husband, Gerry. In addition, she is a part-time outpatient oncology registered nurse in Doylestown. Patti and Gerry were blessed with two children who were born and raised in Bucks County that are now married and parents themselves. Family is the driving factor for her desire to take on a larger role in the democratic party, especially after the birth of her grandchildren this past summer.  Patti has a unique combination of business, managerial, and medical skills which combined with her patient advocacy, compassion, and empathy will assist in her role as coroner.

PA Justice of the Supreme Court

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court uf the highest court in Pennsylvania. There are seven justices of the Supreme Court. Vote for Dan McCaffery who has been endorsed by the Bucks County Democratic Committee.
judge Dan McCaffery for Justice of the Supreme Court

Dan McCaffery

About Judge Dan McCaffery

Judge McCaffery’s service to his Country, Community and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania began long before his legal career.
Judge McCaffery is a proud military veteran. At the age of 18 he joined the United States Army where he served on active duty with the First Cavalry Division. He was one of a few select soldiers chosen from the military to attend the prestigious United States Military Academy at West Point Prep School. Judge McCaffery is currently the only military veteran serving on the Pennsylvania Appellate Courts. After receiving an honorable discharge from the Army, Judge McCaffery attended Temple University and Temple University Law School on a veteran’s scholarship.

Judge McCaffery’s work ethic and commitment to service have been evident in every aspect of his life.
In 1991, McCaffery became an Assistant District Attorney in the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office. He quickly distinguished himself as a top-flight prosecutor assigned to the major trials unit, prosecuting over fifty jury trials and a thousand bench trials. In 1997, McCaffery joined Jaffe, Friedman, Schuman, Nemeroff and Applebaum PC in Montgomery County and was named partner in 2000. McCaffery chaired the firm’s commercial litigation department and spent 16 years as a civil trial attorney.

In 2013 McCaffery was the top vote-getter in the election for Judge of the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas. Assigned to one of the busiest trial divisions in Pennsylvania, Judge McCaffery presided over one hundred jury trials and thousands of bench trials. In 2019 McCaffery again was the top vote-getter, this time in the statewide election for Judge of the Pennsylvania Superior Court. McCaffery is currently the supervising judge for wiretaps and was selected by the Supreme Court to serve on the Court of Judicial Discipline.

Judge McCaffery’s work ethic and commitment to service were instilled in him by his parents.
Dan is the youngest of seven children born to Irish Catholic immigrants who fled violence in Ireland and came to the United States to build a better life for their family. Born and raised in Northeast Philadelphia, Judge McCaffery’s father Seamus was a union organizer and printer, and his mother Margaret was a custodial worker for the School District of Philadelphia.

In addition to his service in the courtroom and in the U.S. Armed Forces, Judge McCaffery has been an active member of the Democratic Party, standing up for the values we all share.
Prior to taking the bench in 2013, Dan spent decades volunteering for the Democratic Party. Dan served as a Democratic State Committee member, and as a member of the Philadelphia Democratic City Committee, where he also used his experience and expertise as an attorney to serve as legal counsel to the committee. Over the years Dan has worked on at least 50 campaigns at every level. Whether its managing campaigns, fundraising, or knocking doors for our candidates, Dan has stepped up to serve.

Judge McCaffery resides in Philadelphia. He is the father of two talented and successful daughters, Madison & Mairead, and the proud grandfather of his 2 grandsons, Stephen & Jack Daniel Jenkins.

PA Judge of the Superior Court

The Pennsylvania Superior Court reviews most of the civil and criminal cases that are appealed from the courts of common pleas in the state's 67 counties. The superior court consists of 15 judges who are elected to serve ten-year terms. In 2023, two seats will be on the ballot: Vote for both Timika Lane and Jill Beck who have been endorsed by the Bucks County Democratic Committee.
Judge Timika Lane for Judge of the Superior Court

Judge Timika Lane

About Judge Timika Lane

Judge Timika Lane was elected to the Court of the Common Pleas in 2013 after a distinguished career as a teacher and then a lawyer. She was first assigned to the Major Trials program in the Criminal Division. There Judge Lane supervised human trafficking cases. In addition, she presided over serious felony criminal matters including but not limited to domestic/family violence, sexual assault, attempted murder, arson, robbery, and burglary. She also handled Investigative Grand Jury matters and supervised re-entry programs. Judge Lane is now assigned to the Complex Litigation jury trial program in the Civil Division.

Judge Lane was born and raised in West Philadelphia. The value of hard work and public service were instilled in her at a very young age by her mother, now a retired Philadelphia Police Detective, and her father who served in the Marine Corp. She has passed these values on to her daughter Tori, a student at Howard University where Judge Lane obtained her B.A.

After college, with those ingrained values of hard work and public service, Judge Lane taught social studies to middle school students in Prince George’s County, Maryland. She then pursued a career in law and received a Juris Doctor degree from Rutgers-Camden School of Law in New Jersey in 2002. At Rutgers, Judge Lane volunteered with the Pro Bono Domestic Violence Project, the Bankruptcy Pro Bono Project and co-chaired the Black Law Students Community Outreach program.

Upon graduation from law school, Judge Lane served as a law clerk in the Court of Common Pleas and then practiced family law, ranging from support to custody issues, and represented indigent families involved in dependency matters. She also served as a Certified Child Advocate. She then joined the Defender Association of Philadelphia as a major trial attorney. She represented impoverished adults and juveniles in complex criminal jury and waiver trials for indigent adults and juveniles and served as supervisor. She also participated in the Safe Surrender Program at True Gospel Tabernacle Family Church and Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church.

Judge Lane became the Chief Legal Counsel for a State Senator and the Executive Director for the Pennsylvania State Senate State Government Committee. Her duties included a challenge to Pennsylvania’s Photo ID law, assessing the constitutionality of proposed and existing legislation, drafting legislation, and guidance regarding the legal implications of legislation, regulations, and administrative policies. She also served as a Civil Arbitrator and a member of numerous legal associations.

She serves as Chair of the Board of City Trust Committee of the Philadelphia Board of Judges, Co-Chair of the Local Criminal Rules Committee and a member of the Communication and Community Affairs, Civil Rules, Jury, FYI and Women Judges Initiative committees. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court appointed her to the County Adult Probation and Parole Advisory Committee (CAPPAC) where she serves as Co-Chair. Governor Tom Wolf appointed her as a Commissioner to the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency. She also serves as a Zone 1 Delegate with the Pennsylvania Bar Association and Chair-Elect for the Clifford Scott Green Chapter of the National Judicial Council. In addition, she served on the Elder Law Task Force.

Judge Lane’s commitment to the community extends well beyond her legal career. She was formerly a Trustee at Bright Hope Baptist Church, Executive Director of the New Life New Member Ministry and Vice-President of the Hospitality Ministry. She worked for Habitat for Humanity during Hurricane Katrina and traveled to New Orleans to rebuild homes destroyed by the hurricane. Multiple Chancellors of the Philadelphia Bar Association appointed her Co-Chair of Advancing Civic Education (ACE,) in which judges and lawyers teach civics to high school students, and she is Co-Chair for The National Trends and Services Facet for The Links, Inc., Delaware Valley Chapter. Additionally, she served as an Adjunct Professor at Harcum College and is an Executive Board member of the Greenhill Farms Residents Association; Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Philadelphia Alumnae Chapter; The National Coalition of 100 Black Women; and The Black Brain Campaign, among others.

Jill Beck

About Jill Beck

Jill Beck has dedicated her career to ensuring that all Pennsylvanians have access to justice. She now hopes to serve on the Pennsylvania Superior Court to continue her tireless fight for fairness in our judicial system. Jill has the experience, integrity, and dedication needed to exceptionally serve the public on one of the Commonwealth’s top courts.

Raised in Pittsburgh, Jill knew from a young age that she wanted to be an advocate for the underserved. While pursuing her undergraduate degree in criminal justice from The George Washington University, she served as a counselor at a residential facility for adjudicated delinquent girls and later as an assistant forensic interviewer at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh’s Child Advocacy Center. After graduating with honors, she served as an AmeriCorps Fellow working with adolescents on probation. These experiences fueled her passion for protecting those without a voice and drew her to the practice of law.

After graduating at the top of her class from Duquesne University School of Law, and Jill chose to work for the nonprofit organization KidsVoice, where she represented abused and neglected children in court proceedings and beyond. Jill’s service at KidsVoice involved not only ensuring that the legal rights of her young clients were protected, but that their basic human needs were met — food, clothing, shelter, medical treatment, education, and a safe and loving family. Jill represented up to 225 children at a given time before magisterial district judges, the Court of Common Pleas, and the Pennsylvania Superior Court. KidsVoice honored her for her advocacy in 2008. In 2010, Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Allegheny County gave her their Children’s Voice Award.

Jill’s experience advocating for children led her to want to serve from the other side of the bench in Pennsylvania’s appellate courts. She spent the next 10 years in public service as a law clerk under the Honorable Christine Donohue on the Superior Court and the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. Jill drafted decisions for criminal, civil, family, juvenile, and orphans’ court cases that were grounded in the law and achieved substantial justice for individuals, families, and businesses across the Commonwealth.

In the fall of 2019 Jill became a civil litigator at Blank Rome, a law firm she selected because of its commitment to providing free legal services to those who cannot afford them. In addition to her busy litigation and appellate practice in state and federal courts across the country, she continued to help the underserved in Pennsylvania’s legal system, representing members of the LGBTQ+ community, veterans, and victims of domestic violence, wage theft, and gun violence resulting from illegal firearm sales; assisting those experiencing housing insecurity; supporting low-income criminal defendants seeking to secure the same constitutional protections as those with means; providing guidance for low-income civil litigants who represent themselves in court; and volunteering to aid in voter protection efforts. Jill also served as chair of Blank Rome Pittsburgh’s Pro Bono Coordinating Committee, has been involved in the firm’s work to address systemic criminal justice reforms, civil rights, and voter protection issues, and co-chaired a pro bono group aimed at protecting an individual’s right to protest. She further served two terms on the board of the Allegheny County Bar Foundation, the charitable arm of the Allegheny County Bar Association.

Jill currently resides with her husband, two children, and rescue dog in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh, where she is an active volunteer in her children’s classrooms and in her community. Her local civic efforts have included heading a drive to provide holiday gifts to children living in homeless shelters, organizing a program to furnish food-insecure children with backpacks filled with school supplies, and as a board member for the Squirrel Hill Urban Coalition – a neighborhood-based organization that supports area residents, institutions, and visitors. Jill also directed sue’s run4kids, a charity event she founded with her father to honor the life of her mother and to raise money for Pennsylvania teens in the foster care system.

Jill knows firsthand that justice is served only when every person – regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or income – has fair and equal access to the courts. She is running for the Pennsylvania Superior Court to ensure that justice in Pennsylvania truly is for ALL.

PA Commonwealth Court

The Commonwealth Court is unique to Pennsylvania. It is one of Pennsylvania's two statewide intermediate appellate courts. The Commonwealth Court is primarily responsible for matters involving state and local governments and regulatory agencies. It also acts as a trial court when lawsuits are filed by or against the Commonwealth. Cases are generally heard by panels of three judges but cases may also be heard by a single judge or by en banc panels of seven judges. -pacourts.us
headshot of Judge Matt Wolf who is the Democratic nominee running for PA Commonwealth Court

Judge Matt Wolf

About Judge Matt Wolf

Judge Matt Wolf is the Supervising Civil Judge of the Philadelphia Municipal Court. As Supervising Judge, he guided the court through the pandemic, he started the heralded eviction diversion program, and he focused the court on equity and access to justice. He wants to be Judge of Commonwealth Court to serve Pennsylvanians.

To learn more about your Democratic candidates and to hear from them directly, be sure to attend the meetings of your local Democratic organization