Clearfield County Judge Election 2025: A Voter's Guide
Clearfield County voters will head to the polls on November 4th to elect a new judge for the county’s Court of Common Pleas. This guide provides information on the candidates and the role of the court.
The Candidates
Two candidates are vying for the open seat: Democrat Josh Maines and Republican Ryan P. Sayers. The winner of the election will preside over judicial matters for over 77,000 residents.
Unlike other elected officials, judge candidates cannot promise specific rulings. They can, however, raise money, gather endorsements, and share their qualifications and perspectives.
About the Court of Common Pleas
Pennsylvania’s Courts of Common Pleas are organized into 60 judicial districts. They serve as trial courts where criminal cases are often initially heard. They also handle civil cases related to family matters, child custody, domestic relations, and juvenile delinquency.
These courts handle the majority of cases impacting Pennsylvanians. They have authority over cases not assigned to another court and can hear appeals from magisterial district judges, municipal courts in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, and certain local and state government agencies.
Judges serve 10-year terms and can be retained by voters for unlimited terms, but must retire at age 75.
Josh Maines, Democrat
Josh Maines, a trial attorney and former assistant district attorney for Clearfield County, is the Democratic candidate for the open judge seat.
Maines won the Democratic primary in May with 2,026 votes.
Maines stated that a county judge should be fair and impartial, emphasizing the hard work required to understand case facts and correctly apply the law.
"It is a willingness to do the hard work of grasping the facts of a case and taking the time to research and correctly apply the relevant law," Maines told Spotlight PA.He believes his experience in criminal and civil matters has prepared him for the role.
Maines identifies inadequate resources for substance abuse and mental health within the court system as a major challenge. He aims to create treatment courts to alleviate the strain.
Maines was appointed by former Gov. Tom Wolf to a law enforcement advisory commission and has been involved with the county's Child Advocacy Center and child death review team. He also stated that he would examine processes in the court system to see where changes could be implemented.
When asked about US Supreme Court Justices that he admires, Maines could not name one specifically but stated that he "most admire justices who have the courage to bear their oath to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States, regardless of their personal ideologies."
Endorsements for Maines include Teamsters Local 205, Patrick Ford (retired magisterial judge), Susan Ford (retired executive director of the Clearfield-Jefferson Drug and Alcohol Commission), and Autumn Bloom (licensed social worker).
Maines has been a music director at Gethsemane United Methodist Church for 14 years and is involved in local theater and community events.
He is married with five adult children.
Ryan P. Sayers, Republican
Ryan P. Sayers, the Clearfield County District Attorney, is the Republican candidate for Court of Common Pleas judge.
Sayers won the Republican primary in May with 3,644 votes.
Sayers believes Clearfield County deserves a judge "that is just, impartial, and experienced, and believes in the conservative principle of the rule of law as written and not interpreted."
Sayers, a graduate of Duquesne University’s law school, has handled both criminal and civil matters. As district attorney, he has focused on criminal prosecution and civil asset forfeitures.
Sayers sees managing the county's caseload as a major challenge for the Clearfield County court. He emphasizes the need for a strong work ethic and efficiency in the judicial system. According to the state court system, between 2014 and 2023, Clearfield County consistently dealt with a higher number of criminal cases on average compared to similarly sized counties in Pennsylvania.
Sayers also prioritizes creating a drug court to help people break the cycle of addiction. The county commissioners and Sayers’s office have pledged opioid settlement funds to support the program.
When asked, Sayers said he most admires the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. "He was a contributor and supporter of the efforts of the Federalist Society, which brought together lawyers, judges, and academics to debate, discuss, and advocate these conservative principles of textualism and originalism," he said.
Sayers was named in a federal civil lawsuit filed in August by a Philadelphia truck driver. He denies any wrongdoing in the case.
Sayers has received endorsements from U.S. Rep. Glenn Thompson, state Sen. Cris Dush, retired State Police Lt. Col. Wayne Kline, Scott Brady (former U.S. attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania), and Teamsters 205.
Sayers has served on the boards of many community organizations and cantors at St. Francis of Assisi Roman Catholic Church.
He is engaged to be married.
