With the 2024 presidential election out of the way, voters in Allegheny County can finally focus on the races that really draw the public’s attention: Common Pleas Court judgeships. On Wednesday, the first candidate in what is likely to be a crowded field next year stepped forward: Democratic state House Rep. Dan Miller.
In a speech on the portico of the City-County Building attended by a number of local elected officials, Miller touted his modest upbringing in a single-parent family. His mother, he said, “Didn’t have a positive idea of lawyers … [But] I told her that I believe that law was where I can make the most impact. If it’s practiced correctly, there’s opportunity. When written correctly, there’s equality. When administered fairly, there’s justice.”
Miller has practiced law as well as made it, having served as a public defender focused on juvenile cases and later as an attorney for the county. (He also served as a high-school history teacher.) But he’s better known for his decade-long tenure representing the South Hills’ 42nd District in Harrisburg, where he has served as the House’s Democratic whip. He’s also held seats on House committees, including Judiciary and Human Services.
His advocacy for those with mental disabilities has been praised by advocacy groups, and he said he would bring an understanding of those challenges to the bench.
“We’re pushing a public health crisis into a court system that is not properly funded,” he said. “And all too often, the humanity that’s lost is what pays the dearest price.”
Miller’s campaign is backed by a number of Democratic luminaries, including two former House colleagues: Lt. Gov. Austin Davis and County Executive Sara Innamorato. Both praised his bid Wednesday.
Innamorato singled out Miller’s work on behalf of people with mental disabilities, which included efforts to secure program funding and hosting a disability summit.
“I don’t know any other public servant that has been as in the fight as Dan Miller,” said Innamorato. “He has focused his work on benefiting families, benefiting kids, and benefiting people with mental health” concerns.
Miller told WESA that the timing seems right for a judicial bid, even though House Democrats are on the cusp of another two-year session in which they constitute the majority. Miller, whose party had been in the minority for most of his Harrisburg career, said he’d enjoyed being able to help set the agenda in the House. But he said he felt that he’d done what he could on issues where “I can best be impactful” with legislation.
“As a judge, you have a chance on the individual level to make an impact, person by person, case by case ... Given all the experiences that I’ve had, it felt like the natural time to make the transition.”
He said that most of his previous legal work had been with juveniles in family court, and that “anything that keeps me in that arena is always a priority. … Kids are where change can be made and impact can be felt, and they deserve the best opportunity.”
If Miller wins his race, his seat in the House would become vacant, potentially eroding Democrats’ one-seat majority and tying the chamber. That happened repeatedly during the past legislative session, with four special elections taking place in Allegheny County alone, mostly as a result of House members reaching higher office.
“We hope not to have the same volume [of turnover] as we did last time,” Miller said. “[But] I believe that the 42nd District will remain in good hands."
Miller's interest in a judgeship has been an open secret for some time. And while he appears to be the first local judicial candidate to formally announce his campaign, he won’t be the last. At least a half-dozen spots on the Common Pleas Court bench are expected to be available next year, owing to retirements and some older judges reaching the mandatory retirement age of 75.
Among the available seats are those previously held by Kim Berkeley Clark, Anthony Mariani, and Joseph K. Williams, all of whom have announced their planned retirement, and that of Alexander Bickett, who died earlier this week.
In all, there could be almost as many judgeships on the line as county voters saw in 2021, when dozens of candidates ran for nine slots. Democratic voters had 39 candidates to choose from in that year’s primary: Republicans had only slightly fewer. (Judges are allowed to run on both parties’ tickets simultaneously, and many appeared on both ballots in that year. It's not clear whether Miller will do so.)
But Miller’s candidacy is likely to leap out. He has name recognition and starts with a campaign bank account that, at last check, had over $139,000 deposited — factors that can be important in races that don’t often get much attention. And his candidacy has already been backed by both the county’s congressional representatives, Chris Deluzio, all four of its Democratic state Senators, and 15 local Democratic House members.
“This is just the beginning,” said Pittsburgh City Councilor and Miller campaign chair Erika Strassburger. “We believe Dan Miller to be a unifying candidate and expect our endorsements to show that.”
