Superior Court candidate vows to spurn 'corrosive influence' of campaign donations - in the primary

Calling money a “corrosive influence” on elections, Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Robert J. Colville announced Tuesday that he will not raise money in his bid for a spot on the Democratic ballot for Pennsylvania Superior Court.

But he might accept others' cash to get elected in November.

Colville, 49, of Ross said he will spend “perhaps a few thousand dollars” of his own money on “unavoidable expenses,” but will eschew television ads and other high-cost advertising methods leading up to the May 19 election.

Colville would not commit to the same pledge for the general election in November, telling the Tribune-Review he will make that decision if he is successful in May.

“I am doing this because I believe that money, especially big money, has become a corrosive influence in our electoral process,” he said.

Marty Marks, a spokesman for Philadelphia Judge Alice Beck Dubow, Colville's lone competitor in the Democratic primary, said Dubow respects his decision but will not follow suit.

Because name recognition is important in the statewide race, Marks said Dubow will use the money she raises to “get the message out.” Marks said Dubow's campaign has raised more than $200,000.

Northampton County Judge Emil Giordano is running unopposed in the Republican primary. He did not return calls.

Colville said he does not want to make his campaign about campaign finance reform, or to begrudge his opponents for accepting money. “But I am hopeful that my decision will not only allow me to sleep better at night, but that it might also serve to focus attention on, and encourage meaningful public discourse regarding the question of the influence of big money in politics,” he said.

Lynn Marks, executive director for Pennsylvanians for Modern Courts, a Philadelphia-based reform group that promotes fair and impartial judges, called Colville's decision “a gamble” that could put him at a disadvantage. She agreed that campaign donations negatively affect the public's perception of judges.

“The reality is the current system is a partisan election system and money is extremely important to inform voters of who you are,” she said. “But money in judicial races is very different than in other races because a judge's job is to be impartial.”

Adam Brandolph is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 412-391-0927 or abrandolph@tribweb.com.