Rendell says he'll pick new judicial candidates

Gov. Rendell says he will not renominate the four candidates who were rejected by the Senate last week to fill temporary openings on the state appellate courts.

Instead, he said yesterday, he will send the names of new candidates to the Senate as early as next week. He would not say in advance who they are.

Rendell also would not say whether the new candidates will include any minorities, as the Legislative Black Caucus has requested, but said he would not sacrifice quality for diversity.

The Republicans who voted against Rendell's nominees complained that he had not considered their opinion on whom he should pick. A two-thirds majority vote in the Senate is necessary to confirm a judicial nominee.

- AP