Battista will face Democrat Brandon Neuman in the November general election.
In the race for Pennsylvania’s open Superior Court seat, Republican Maria Battista won the contested GOP primary over Ann Marie Wheatcraft, despite not being endorsed by the state Republican Party or rated by the Pennsylvania Bar Association (PBA).
Battista, who beat Wheatcraft by 8%, previously worked for the state under both Republican Gov. Tom Corbett and Democrat Gov. Tom Wolf. She currently works as the president of the consulting firm Judge Government Services.
A native of Clarion County, Battista’s campaign focused on her 15 years of legal experience, particularly her tenure as an Assistant District Attorney. During the campaign, Battista said Pennsylvania needs “judges who are fair and impartial, have integrity, and keep politics out of the courtroom. Battista also highlighted her diverse background and the “many types of law” it covers that are relevant to Superior Court, saying it provides her “a better understanding when they are appealed to the Superior Court.”
Battista previously unsuccessfully ran for Superior Court in 2023, during which she garnered headlines after being struck by a vehicle when putting up yard signs a few weeks before the election.
Wheatcraft, the GOP-endorsed candidate, is a sitting Chester County Common Pleas judge and was “highly recommended” by the PBA for her extensive judicial experience and professionalism. The PBA said Wheatcraft was “an experienced jurist known for her high degree of professionalism.” Wheatcraft’s campaign focused on her conservative judicial philosophy, which she said “emphasizes a fair and impartial judiciary” and “applying the law as it is written.” Wheatcraft called herself “tough on crime” but also a supporter of “treatment courts, which divert nonviolent offenders out of jail and into treatment.”
Democrat Brandon P. Neuman will face Battista in the general election. Neuman did not have an opponent in the Democratic primary. He is a Washington County judge and former state representative. The PBA also “highly recommended” Neuman, citing his legal knowledge, integrity, and fair treatment of individuals.
Neuman made headlines last year when he ruled that election officials in Washington County must notify voters if their mail-in ballots had errors that would prevent the ballots from being counted. Mailed absentee ballot voting has exploded in popularity in the Keystone State since 2019, when the legislature passed a bill allowing what is called “no-excuse” mail-in voting.
The Superior Court is currently composed of eight Democrats and six Republicans. Battista and Neuman will face each other in the general election this November.
