Wednesday, November 05, 2003

By Jim McKinnon, Post-Gazette Staff Writer

It was nearly 11:30 p.m. before Common Pleas Judge Jill Rangos took the podium to declare victory in her bid to remain on the bench in Allegheny County.

Rangos, a Republican who had been appointed by Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell to fill an unexpired term, overcame a staunch challenge by Pittsburgh City Councilman Alan Hertzberg.

"For me, this is the biggest night of my professional life," Rangos said.

In the hotly contested race, she said that she had her doubts. "Particularly as [County Executive Jim] Roddey's poll numbers went down, it looked less likely that we could win it."

For most of the evening, after the polls closed and results trickled in, Rangos trailed Hertzberg, the Democratic challenger, by double-digit percentage points, according to unofficial results posted on the county Internet Web site.

Then, later in the night, she pulled closer. Nearly 100 percent of the vote had been counted before Rangos surged ahead of Hertzberg.

Some controversy had clouded the campaign as Rangos and the Republican State Committee were accused of negative campaigning by alluding to claims that Hertzberg had run afoul of the law by failing to pay alimony and child-support payments after he divorced his wife, Karen, in 1996.

Rangos said last night that the television ad was paid for by the state committee. She knew about the ad before it ran. But, she said, "I was not in favor of doing it."

Rangos credited her victory to her incumbency and "the groundswell of support that I got the closer we got to the election. So many people helped me to win this race."

Rangos has been honored for her work in the area of juvenile justice and family matters before she was named to the bench last year, where she has served in the juvenile section of Family Court.

Today, she will head to Harrisburg for the Juvenile Justice Conference, gratified that this year and for the next decade, she will participate in the meetings as a Common Pleas Judge.

Hertzberg could not be reached last night for comment.

Two others in Common Pleas Court, judges David Wecht and Christine Ward, were unopposed in their first election bids. Both had been appointed last year.

Wecht was the highest vote-getter among the four candidates for the three seats.

Six other judges were retained, each for a 10-year term in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court.

They are judges Ronald Folino, Robert Horgos, Kathleen Mulligan, Lawrence O'Toole, Alan Penkower and John Zottola.

Democrat Mark E. Mascara appears to be the new Common Pleas Court judge in Washington County, as his lead steadily grew against Republican Colin E. Fitch.

Mascara, son of former U.S. Rep. Frank Mascara, D-Charleroi, said he would be an "activist" judge, lobbying for changes in the local court system.

Fitch, 42, of South Strabane, is the grandson of T.S. Fitch, the founder of Washington Steel.

While favoring general changes to the court system, Fitch said he would serve as a constitutionalist.

Mascara, 47, of East Washington, and Fitch are vying for an open slot created by the mandatory retirement last year of former President Judge Thomas D. Gladden.

In Westmoreland County, Christopher Feliciani, 44, of Hempfield, was teary-eyed.

"This is the fulfillment of a dream I've had since I was a child: to be a judge. I can't think of a nobler calling," he said. "I am even-tempered, neutral, composed."

Attorneys Michele Bononi and Christopher Feliciani fought one another to exhaustion over a single Westmoreland County Common Pleas Court judgeship. Democrat Feliciani led the race through the evening.

Likewise, Bononi said she's shown the voters how dedicated she will be to the job. Win or lose, she said, she is ready "just get back to a normal life."

Theirs was the most contested and politicized race in the county this election season, with accusations of dirty tactics, smears, and pushy polling practices.

In Beaver County, John P. Dohanich, 56, of Center, and Richard Mancini, 49, of Patterson, who were unchallenged in their bids to fill vacancies in Common Pleas Court, together garnered all but the gag votes for their seats.

Dohanich is a former Beaver County solicitor and assistant public defender, and current solicitor for Beaver County controller and nine municipalities and municipal authorities. He received just over 45 percent of the vote.

Jim McKinnon can be reached at jmckinnon@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1939.

Staff writers Janice Crompton and Rebekah Scott contributed to this story.

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