Philly Democrats’ process of picking ‘magic seat’ judges involved mischief and vengeance this year

Philadelphia’s Democratic City Committee, as Clout predicted last week, picked three lawyers Monday to fill three Common Pleas Court “magic seats” available on November’s ballot.

This round of magic seats saw some vengeance extracted.

Former State Sen. Larry Farnese wanted one of the seats, which become available when current judges seeking to be retained for another term decide to drop off the ballot.

Clout hears Farnese’s former colleague, State Sen. Tina Tartaglione, tanked his chances.

Farnese supported Stephanie Singer in the 2011 Democratic primary for city commissioner when she defeated Tartaglione’s mother. Marge Tartaglione, who died in 2019, had been seeking a 10th four-year term.

A dozen years later, revenge is a dish still best served cold.

Bob Brady, chair of the city’s Democratic Party, told Clout there may be three or four more vacancies for Common Pleas seats in early 2024 if some expected retirements happen.

Farnese may get an appointment to complete one of those terms, Brady said.

Here again, Farnese will encounter Tartaglione. Gov. Josh Shapiro makes appointments to fill judicial vacancies, which must be approved in the state Senate, where Tartaglione is the Democratic whip.

Tartaglione and Farnese didn’t respond this week to Clout’s hails.

One of the resignations could come from Common Pleas Judge Jacqueline Allen, who told Clout in June she was considering retirement but then did not withdraw — as many had expected — from November’s ballot by last week’s deadline.

Allen wanted her fellow judges to select her law clerk in May as the city’s next jury commissioner. Brady wrote a letter of recommendation for that. But the judges voted for another candidate.

So Brady got three magic seats instead of four.

“She stuck it to me,” Brady said with a chuckle.

The magic seat winners are James Eisenhower, Raj Sandher, and Elvin Ross III.

They get fast-track candidacies for 10-year judicial terms paying $212,495 per year while not having to raise money for an expensive primary, hire political consultants, or even campaign.

Clout provides often irreverent news and analysis about people, power, and politics.