Judge of the Court of Common Pleas
The Courts of Common Pleas are the general trial courts of Pennsylvania. Judges who preside over the Courts of Common Pleas are responsible for appeals from the Magisterial District Courts, as well as civil and criminal matters that cannot be heard in the Magisterial District Courts, Orphans’ Court matters, and matters involving juveniles and families. In Delaware County, each judge focuses on one topical area (Criminal, Civil, Juvenile, Family) for a designated period of time; the President Judge normally hears Orphans’ Court matters.
The Courts of Common Pleas are organized into 60 judicial districts. Most districts follow the geographic boundaries of counties (as does Delaware County), but seven of the districts are composed of two counties. Each county's Courts of Common Pleas functions a little differently than every other county, based on their own rules of filing and administration. Each district has from one to 93 judges and has a President Judge and a court administrator. (We will vote for TWO candidates.)
Democrats
Mike Power (Thornbury Township)
Michael Power was born in Shelbyville, Tennessee in 1961 and primarily raised in Chattanooga, Tennessee. His family members were considered “yellow dog Democrats,” a colloquial reference to southern Democrats who would “rather vote for a yellow dog than a Republican.”
Mr. Power’s first foray into politics occurred early when he worked for Bill Clinton’s presidential campaign. Mr. Power was an early member of the Thornbury Township Democratic Committee, which he saw develop from a few devoted individuals to a cohesive fully-functioning committee. He served several terms as Chair.
Mr. Power attended Emory College in Atlanta, where he earned a double degree in English and History and met his future wife, Marcy. After college, Mr. Power attended Temple Law School. His early legal practice involved numerous areas of the law, including insurance defense, bankruptcy, and medical malpractice defense. Michael opened his own legal practice in Delaware County in 1995, specializing in consumer law, including consumer fraud claims, lemon law, and warranty litigation.
Mr. Power moved from Philadelphia to Thornton, Pennsylvania in 1993, where he and his wife raised three children: Daniel, Lis, and Andrew.
Mr. Power has been actively involved in the Delaware County Democratic Committee for many years, serving as Treasurer for the Committee for 8 years. In this role, he has provided training and advice, both legal and practical, to treasurers of other municipal committees and candidate committees. He has also served as treasurer for numerous PACs and candidate committees.
Jack Stollsteimer (Haverford Township)
Jack Stollsteimer is the proud son of a union family and a lifelong Delaware County resident whose story is rooted in resilience, service, and the pursuit of the American Dream. The son of a SEPTA driver and union member and a mother who survived Nazi slave labor camps before immigrating to the U.S., Mr. Stollsteimer worked his way through college and law school at night while raising a family. He began his legal career in the Delaware County District Attorney’s Office and later joined the U.S. Department of Justice, where he led a gun violence task force in North Philadelphia and earned a 100% conviction rate as a federal prosecutor. His advocacy for safer schools as Pennsylvania’s Safe Schools Advocate led to policy changes in the Philadelphia School District and contributed to Pulitzer Prize-winning journalism.
Mr. Stollsteimer has continued his commitment to public service as Deputy State Treasurer, where he helped launch the PA ABLE savings program and Keystone Scholars grants to support children and families across Pennsylvania. A graduate of Ridley High School, Mr. Stollsteimer lives in Havertown with his wife Judi and their two children, both students in the Haverford School District. He currently serves on the Board of the Delaware County Bar Association, is a founding member of the Delco Coalition for Prison Reform, and was elected Delaware County District Attorney in 2019.