SCRANTON, Pa. — In Lackawanna County, it's an all-female field for Court of Common Pleas judge.
Republican Nisha Arora on Waverly and Democrat Mary Walsh Dempsey of Scranton are the two women vying for Lackawanna County judge.
They both consider it a long-overdue honor to run to be the fourth female judge in the county's history.
"When I first started practicing law 30 years ago, I think right now it's about a 50/50 split, both at the bar association and at the law school level. it was not that way when I first started practicing law," Dempsey said. "In many ways, it's done me well because I had to work harder, I had to work longer, and I had to be stronger to get where I am today. But, it's pretty amazing to see that, if elected, I could be the fourth female in the history of this county to serve."
Arora is also the first minority candidate for county judge.
"I felt it was really important to take the chance. Part of the reason why I did that was that hopefully, other people would see me run and would want to take the chance and run for other offices as well. I think we need minority representation throughout all forms of our government," said Arora.
The candidates say the judicial branch, especially at the local level, could have the greatest influence on the lives of citizens in Lackawanna County.
"Judgeships are extremely important because this is a seat on the Court of Common Pleas, so it's named that way because that's truly what it is. It's the place where the common person goes with their troubles," Arora said.
Both women believe their experience practicing law in both the public and private sectors qualifies them for the county bench, which oversees criminal, civil, and family law cases.
"These are all things that affect everyday people, so it really is an important role and arguably could affect individuals in Lackawanna County than some of the decisions made on a statewide level," Dempsey said.
Voters can cast their ballot Tuesday until 8 p.m.