Justice loses over pay-raise furor

In Pennsylvania, voter wrath over a late-night legislative pay raise unseated one unsuspecting state Supreme Court justice and almost removed another. With most precincts reporting, voters refused to award Justice Russell M. Nigro another 10-year term on the bench, ousting him with a 51 percent of the vote. A second judge, Sandra Schultz Newman won with 54 percent support. Normally a quiet affair, these votes-of-confidence have become the focal point of an electorate unhappy about recent pay raises for the Legislature, state judges and Gov. Ed Rendell (D). The justices got caught up in voter backlash, led by groups such as PACleanSweep, that is aimed at the Legislature, but there were no legislative races this year. Lawmakers have retreated and are on the verge of repealing the pay raises.

Profile of the candidates -- From the Pittsburgh Post Gazette

 State Supreme Court -- Official website. 

Send your comments on this story to letters@stateline.org. Selected reader feedback will be posted in the Letters to the editor section.