Daniel McCaffery explained
Daniel D. McCaffery (born July 20, 1964)[1] [2] is an American lawyer who serves as a justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court since 2024. He is a former judge of the Pennsylvania Superior Court, serving from 2020 to 2024. He defeated Republican Carolyn Carluccio in the 2023 Pennsylvania Supreme Court election, winning with 53% of the vote.
Military service and education
After graduating from Father Judge High School in 1982, McCaffery joined the United States Army and served with the First Cavalry Division in Fort Hood, Texas. He attended the United States Military Academy Preparatory School. After being honorably discharged from active duty, he served three more years in the Army Reserve.[3] He received a Bachelor of Arts in journalism from Temple University in 1988 and a Juris Doctor from Temple University School of Law in 1991.[4]
Career
From 1991 to 1997, McCaffery was an assistant district attorney for Philadelphia County. From 1997 to 2014, he was a shareholder with Friedman, Schuman P.C. From 2014 to 2019, he was a judge of the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas. In 2019, he was elected to the Superior Court of Pennsylvania.[5]
Pennsylvania Supreme Court
In November 2022, McCaffery announced his candidacy for a seat on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court left vacant by the death of fellow Democrat Max Baer.[6] He was endorsed by the state Democratic Party in February 2023,[7] and won the May 2023 primary against fellow Superior Court Judge Deborah Kunselman with 60% of the vote.[8] He went on to face the Republican nominee, Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas Judge Carolyn Carluccio, in the general election.[9]
Abortion was the central theme of the general election.[10] Even though candidates in judicial elections typically avoid commenting on specific issues, McCaffery explicitly campaigned on protecting the right to an abortion.[11] [12] Carluccio declined to take a public position on the issue, but did say she would uphold Pennsylvania's law allowing abortion until 24 weeks after conception.[13] However, she was endorsed by the anti-abortion Pennsylvania Pro-Life Federation, and the Pro-Life Coalition of Pennsylvania supported her because she called herself "pro-life".
Over $22 million was spent during the campaign, making the election one of the most expensive Supreme Court elections in the Commonwealth's history.[14] Of that total, McCaffery and his allies spent over $13 million, primarily funded by "the state Democratic Party, labor unions, and associations representing trial attorneys."[15]
On November 7, 2023, he was elected to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court with 53% of the vote;[16] McCaffery's support for abortion rights has been credited as a major factor in his victory.[17] [18]
Notes and References
- Web site: January 13, 2023 . Personal Data Questionnaire . https://web.archive.org/web/20230314063935/https://www.pabar.org/public/news%20releases/23jec/DanielMcCafferySupreme.pdf . March 14, 2023 . live.
- McCaffery. Judge Dan. JudgeMcCaffery. 1682058629476675587. July 20, 2023. Please join us in wishing Judge Dan McCaffery a heartfelt HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Let’s celebrate our Judge and our love for Pennsylvania by doubling down to ensure we elect him to the PA Supreme Court! http://judgemccaffery.com. November 12, 2023. https://archive.today/20231113151709/https://twitter.com/JudgeMcCaffery/status/1682058629476675587. November 13, 2023 . live.
- Web site: Judge Daniel D. McCaffery . November 11, 2023 . www.pacourts.us . en . November 11, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231111035809/https://www.pacourts.us/courts/court-of-judicial-discipline/current-and-historical-list-of-judges/judge-daniel-d-mccaffery . live .
- Web site: Judge Daniel D. McCaffery . https://web.archive.org/web/20231107102242/https://www.pacourts.us/courts/superior-court/superior-court-judges/judge-daniel-d-mccaffery . November 7, 2023 . November 9, 2023 . www.pacourts.us . en . live.
- Web site: Caruso . Stephen . Huangpu . Kate . Meyer . Katie . November 3, 2023 . Who is Daniel McCaffery, running for PA Supreme Court? . November 11, 2023 . Spotlight PA . en-us . November 11, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231111035809/https://www.spotlightpa.org/news/2023/11/daniel-mccaffery-pennsylvania-supreme-court-election-2023/ . live .
- News: November 18, 2022 . McCaffery to run for open seat on Pennsylvania high court . en . . Associated Press . November 12, 2023 . November 12, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231112015540/https://www.wesa.fm/courts-justice/2022-11-18/mccaffery-to-run-for-open-seat-on-pennsylvania-high-court . live .
- News: February 1, 2023 . Democrats Endorse Philly Judge for Seat on Pa.'s Supreme Court . en-US . NBC10 Philadelphia . Associated Press . November 12, 2023 . February 3, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230203052735/https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/politics/democrats-endorse-mccaffrey-supreme-court/3487000/ . live .
- Web site: May 16, 2023 . 2023 Municipal Primary Official Returns . live . https://archive.today/20231112014552/https://www.electionreturns.pa.gov/Home/SummaryResults?ElectionID=100&ElectionType=P&IsActive=0 . November 12, 2023 . November 12, 2023 . Pennsylvania Department of State.
- News: Caruso . Stephen . Huangpu . Kate . September 6, 2023 . Pa. election 2023: A complete guide to the candidates for state Supreme Court . en-US . WHYY . December 5, 2023 . November 6, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231106130107/https://whyy.org/articles/pa-election-2023-state-supreme-court-candidates/ . live .
- Web site: Lyons . Kim . November 8, 2023 . How abortion became the central issue in Pennsylvania's Supreme Court race . November 12, 2023 . Pennsylvania Capital-Star . en-US . November 12, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231112031638/https://www.penncapital-star.com/reproductive-rights/how-abortion-became-the-central-issue-in-pennsylvanias-supreme-court-race/ . live .
- News: Blumenthal . Paul . October 25, 2023 . Pennsylvania Supreme Court Race Tests Democrats' Post-Roe Strategy On Abortion Rights . en-US . . . November 12, 2023 . November 12, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231112031638/https://news.yahoo.com/pennsylvania-supreme-court-race-tests-094507504.html . live .
- News: Levy . Marc . November 9, 2023 . Expensive judicial races might be here to stay in Pennsylvania after record high court campaign . en . Associated Press . November 12, 2023 . November 12, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231112200122/https://apnews.com/article/pennsylvania-election-state-supreme-court-record-spending-7ed804dd4a7871698f651843b16daccd . live .
- News: Levy . Marc . August 24, 2023 . Democrats in Pennsylvania want to keep a Supreme Court majority. They are talking up abortion rights . en . Associated Press . November 12, 2023 . November 12, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231112031638/https://apnews.com/article/abortion-pennsylvania-supreme-court-274a476c66e2ea3f9dace25a4cff546a . live .
- News: Levy . Marc . November 3, 2023 . Pennsylvania's election will be headlined by races for statewide courts, including a high court seat . en . Associated Press . November 12, 2023 . November 12, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231112200123/https://apnews.com/article/pennsylvania-supreme-court-election-campaign-0c517ed69436d8271fec7b7f04ae025e . live .
- News: Caruso . Stephen . Huangpu . Kate . October 31, 2023 . Lots of spending as PA Supreme Court race nears end . en-us . November 12, 2023 . November 12, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231112200122/https://www.spotlightpa.org/news/2023/10/supreme-court-campaign-finance-pennsylvania-yass-ads-spending/ . live .
- Web site: November 7, 2023 . Dan McCaffery edges Carolyn Carluccio in contested, expensive Pa. Supreme Court race . CBS Philadelphia . November 9, 2023 . Brandt . Joe . en-US . November 9, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231109044300/https://www.cbsnews.com/philadelphia/news/dan-mccaffery-beats-carolyn-carluccio-supreme-court-race/ . live .
- News: McGoldrick . Gillian . Terruso . Julia . November 9, 2023 . After another disappointing night for Pa. Republicans, the GOP struggles to find an answer to abortion . en . . November 12, 2023 . November 12, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231112211154/https://www.inquirer.com/politics/election/abortion-pennsylvania-supreme-court-results-mccaffery-carluccio-20231109.html . live .
- News: Weisman . Jonathan . Epstein . Reid J. . November 8, 2023 . How Abortion Lifted Democrats, and More Takeaways From Tuesday's Elections . en-US . The New York Times . November 12, 2023 . 0362-4331 . November 12, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231112211154/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/08/us/politics/election-takeaways-abortion-biden.html . live .