Springdale Council President Mitchell Karaica has announced his candidacy for Lower Valley district judge.
“Having lived in the magisterial district for 48 of my 50 years, I have a personal stake in the safety and well-being of all five communities and strongly relate to the needs and concerns of the residents,” Karaica said in a statement.
District Court 05-3-03 covers Cheswick, Frazer, Harmar, Springdale Borough and Springdale Township.
It has been presided over for more than two decades by David Sosovicka, who is not seeking reelection and will instead pursue senior judge status.
Karaica is cross-filed as a Democrat and a Republican.
A graduate of Springdale High School, Karaica is a power plant technician at the Brunot Island Power Station. He began his career 25 years ago with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 29 and has served as a member of the Allegheny County Labor Council for six years.
In addition to serving as Springdale president the past two years, Karaica has been the borough’s representative to the Allegheny Valley Joint Sewage Authority for five years.
Candidates for district judge must be at least 21 and have lived in the municipality served for at least one year. Candidates also must be a member of the state bar association or have passed a state-approved training course.
If elected, Karaica said he vows to be a full-time district judge and will dedicate himself to the job.
“I will continue to have evening hours to better serve our working families,” he said.
