Final Choice Time.

Well, the campaign is down to four more days. On Tuesday, November 8th, voters in Springfield will choose what kind of a District Court they want. I have laid out my vision for improving youth justice in the township, mediating disputes, and solving problems in the community.

As evidenced by a campaign in which I knocked on doors over 12,000 times, I will be an engaged, efficient, and pro-active judge, serving our township with pride. As your District Judge I will work to make our wonderful community even better.

If you have come to this website to do your homework before voting, I hope I will earn your vote. Please follow the links above to read about my ideas and my plans. And if you have questions, please get in touch with me directly: michael@kolodner.com, cell phone 215-242-5272.

The Personal Touch.

I want to tell you about an amazing milestone my campaign just reached.

Tomorrow I will make a trip to the post office because I need more stamps again. While I'm there, I will mail another stack of hand written letters, some that I wrote and others done by dedicated volunteers. One of those is the two thousandth personal note written in the course of my campaign. More than 2,000 houses in Springfield Township have gotten hand written letters as follow ups to knocking on the door. If you count all the voters who live in those houses, we have reached over 4,200 people with a personal request for their vote.

That kind of neighbor to neighbor contact is going to pay off on Election Day, I have no doubt.

I want to take this opportunity to thank the volunteers who helped in this effort. Your efforts have been humbling and I know that people are touched by it.

I, too, am touched by your generosity in time, treasure, and spirit.

Why I’m running.

One of the questions I've been getting most often is "Why are you interested in being the District Judge?" The answer is already here on the website, but not in so many words. So I thought it was worth putting it all into one place right here up front.

I got into this race because I love my community. Since moving back to Springfield Township I have been active in many ways to bring people together, grow our sense of shared destiny, and maintain this wonderful place to live and raise my family. Building community is what I choose to do with my time, through the schools, in my immediate neighborhood, through my choices of food and shopping, and in my volunteer time. Running for District Judge is a direct outgrowth of that instinct. I eat local food. I buy local products to support local businesses. I serve on volunteer boards. I walk or bike whenever I can, rather than drive. I do everything I can to live locally. And what is more local than our District Court in Oreland?

As I have said on my website, at the door, and on my literature, District Judges need to solve problems. When neighbors have a dispute, when our kids get in trouble, when a contractor doesn't finish the job, these are local problems that affect our quality of life. The Magisterial District Judge is often the one who has a chance to smooth things over, encourage second chances when kids learn their lesson, or make a final decision when both sides have said their piece.

So, yeah, it sounds pretty corny. But I'm running for District Judge because I want to help people in my community--people like you.

I hope you will honor me with your vote.

Hello, I'm Michael Kolodner and I'm running for local judge.

Boy have I said that a lot of times! I estimate that I’ve knocked well over 6,000 times on the doors of Springfield Township. I’ve met more people than I can count and I have to say that everyone has been extremely friendly. What more can I ask for?

Oh right, YOUR vote. Will you please support me on November 8th?

Fully Qualified

According to the Supreme Court of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania I am now fully qualified to serve as Magisterial District Judge. After attending "Judge School," I have passed the Magisterial District Judge certification exam!

Kolodner, for the Win!

Thanks to an amazing team of volunteers, a grassroots effort and lots of hard work, I am the Democratic nominee for Magisterial District Judge in Springfield Township!

This is just the end of the beginning. Now we start building the foundation for what promises to be a hard-fought campaign for the general election on November 8th. I'm going to need to raise money, build volunteer teams, and continue knocking on doors. Please help me!

Don't Vote for a Republican in the Democratic Primary

Primary Day is approaching fast and my Republican opponent is trying to confuse Democrats into voting for her in the Primary. When voters ask her party affiliation, she responds that "this is a nonpartisan race." She is the endorsed candidate of the Republican party, getting money and political backing from the local and county parties. Thanks to that endorsement, she's got the Republican primary pretty much in the bag. Now she's trying to steal the Democratic primary by hiding her true colors.

Meanwhile, on the Democratic side, we have two good candidates. Our local committee voted to have a fair and open primary to choose the best nominee, just as the system was intended. (The best nominee would be me, of course!)

This confusing situation exists because under Pennsylvania law judicial and school board races are theoretically nonpartisan. Candidates are allowed to file both as a Democrat and as a Republican and they appear on both party's primary ballots. (A practice known as "cross filing.") The unfortunate reality is that cross filing doesn't remove the partisan character of these races, it just makes them more confusing for the voters. Most of the time, cross filing ends up making very little difference, as each party's endorsed nominee wins and they go on to a partisan election in the fall. But should one candidate win on both sides, then they are unopposed for the fall. It's confusing enough with judge races, but with five seats for school board and nine candidates, it becomes craziness! (I wish I could link you to a good online resource about cross filing, but I can't even find one.)

If you still have questions, feel free to call me (cell: 215-242-5272) or ask the committeepeople when you get to the polls.

But the bottom line is this: I am a Democrat, running as a Democrat and hoping to win the Democratic Primary. I will be an unbiased and nonpartisan judge should I be elected in November. But I'm not going to hide my political affiliation or pretend to be something I'm not. If I lose your vote because of my party, so be it. It's better than gaining votes through subterfuge.

Four Weeks to Go

With exactly four weeks until Primary Day (May 17th), I'm sad to report the passing of my trusty hiking boots. I literally have worn out a pair of shoes in my canvassing. These boots have been to at least five countries over the years, perhaps more. (I can't remember exactly when I bought them.) They've protected my feet from the elements all over the world, but they couldn't finish out the campaign.

The photo doesn't really do justice to the damage. That's not just a cosmetic problem on the side. The left boot no longer sits flat and the hole goes all the way into the sole, causing them to squish funny and roll under my foot.

That's what happens when you knock more on more than 3,000 doors.

We're Out of Literature!

I had 2,500 flyers printed in February to bring to the doors and hand out or leave if no one is home. Now, I'm completely out! (We're printing more, of course. They'll be here today.)

I want to publicly thank the volunteers who helped me get this far. Can you believe that we have collectively knocked on 2,500 doors?

Thank you all for your support!

First to File!

I was the first candidate in the race to file my petitions at the Montgomery County Courthouse today. Thanks to my dedicated and hard-working volunteers I have plenty of signatures to be on both the Republican and Democratic ballots for the May 17th Primary.

Now I've already begun direct contact with voters to talk about the court and my ideas for new programs. In fact, even though it was rainy and windy, I went out and knocked on nearly 50 doors after dropping off my petitions.

Michael Profiled in Springfield Sun

The local newspaper, the Springfield Sun, published an article about my campaign today. See it online here or grab a copy at the newsstand, if you're so inclined.

While you’re going to their website, don't miss my son Arden's letter to the editor from last week.

Contributions Start Arriving

My wife, Jen, sent a brief note to friends and family asking for their support. I am happy to report that the response was immediate and generous. Thank you to everyone who has contributed! And thank you, in advance, to everyone who will in the future.

I am humbled and honored by all the people who are willing to donate and to volunteer and who are so excited to see me running for judge.

Website Goes Live

I spent part of my day working on the Springfield Community Association's MLK Day of Service event. Meanwhile my industrious digital volunteer elves transformed our long-dormant family website into this campaign site.

Thank you, Scott Blumenthal, for all of your help and support!

At-Home Dad and Former Diplomat Running for Springfield Judge

I announced my candidacy today! (Press release here.)

The district judge (DJ) hears traffic court, civil cases ("small claims court") and handles many of the preliminary aspects of criminal matters. Through oversight of the police and handling of juvenile cases, the DJ in many ways sets the tone for the justice system at the local level. I work to hard to support my community and build local connections. This position is a natural fit for me.

Many thanks to Gretchen Slapinsky and Joanne Dhody for their invaluable help creating a logo and professional look for the campaign design.

I also got my Facebook page and Twitter feeds going. (See links on the right-hand column.)