HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) -- Kevin Brobson will be the newest justice on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court after Tuesday's election victory. He resides in Dauphin County, which is where abc27 caught up with him.
Job one for the supreme court's newest member?
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"Getting to know my colleagues better and getting them to know me better and learning to work together and think that's what the people of Pennsylvania want," Brobson said.
What Pennsylvanians don't want, Brobson said, is a high court that makes rulings seen as political and not based in the law. That perception is out there he concedes and it hurts the institution.
"Sure it does, that's why I ran. that's one of the reasons why I ran. I don't want people to look at the courts as Republican or Democrat," Brobson said.
Brobson won a bruising race against Philadelphia Democrat Maria McLaughlin. Many say judgers raising money from people who could appear before them is a bad look. They prefer the merit selection of statewide judges. Brobson would not take a stand, but did say:
"Do I think a system could be created for merit selection that could provide for a broad diverse representation of experiences and backgrounds and bring them to the courts? I do. It would be up to the voters to decide if that's the system they want to go to."
Redistricting is happening in Harrisburg right now. The last time boundaries were drawn, the high court tossed them. Brobson's wish is that it never comes before him.
"This is what I hope. I hope it doesn't come to the courts. That's my hope. I hope it gets resolved by the general assembly and the governor and they do their jobs, they reach districts they can agree and the courts don't have to get involved," Brobson added.
Brobson knows more than a million Pennsylvanians did not vote for him. So what is his message to them?
"I will be working for you just as hard as I work for the people who voted for me. I work for all the people of Pennsylvania," Brobson said.
Brobson will be sworn into the 10-year term in January. The job pays $215,000 a year.
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