20-05-2025
Historic judicial race on the ballot in Huntingdon County
HUNTINGDON, Pa. (WTAJ) — Voters in Huntingdon County will head to the polls to cast their ballot in a historic race during Tuesday's primary election.
For the first time ever, voters will decide who sits in the second judge's seat in the Court of Common Pleas in the race between current Huntingdon County Judge Ray Ghaner and Julia Wilt, an Assistant District Attorney in Blair County, both lifelong Huntingdon residents.
Ghaner currently holds the seat after Governor Shapiro temporarily appointed him in February. He is the first person to have served in this seat. He said the time he spent practicing in all areas of law makes him a strong candidate.
'I basically have handled every type of law that a small town, rural judge would hear. And I think that's what really sets me apart is my experience,' Ghaner said. 'It's not just one area of the law, but it's in everything. So I've done everything from custody to civil. I've done criminal defense. But probably what I'm most proud of is I spent a lot of my career protecting children and the elderly.'
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If elected, Ghaner hopes to preside over a veterans specialty court to connect veterans facing criminal charges with the resources they need. He said he's inspired to do this after seeing the way veterans in his own life support one another through hardship.
'They have a veterans food bank. It's called 'Military Share' and it happens once a month down at the football field. It's just a wonderful experience. You get all of these veterans there and the brotherhood and the camaraderie that they have. And of course, they're needing each other,' Ghaner said.
When he's off the bench and not on the campaign trail, Ghaner enjoys spending time with his wife and kids and helping coach the Huntingdon High School football team.
Wilt, his opponent, said she's running to put the choice of who should be judge in the hands of Huntingdon County, not Harrisburg.
Wilt is hopeful to be the first woman to ever serve as judge in the county's history. She said her experience in the courtroom and the lessons she learned from her father, a former lawyer and magisterial district judge have prepared her to rule from the bench.
'I remember being very little and asking him one time what he was doing and he said he was preparing for his meeting with the inmates. And I thought that's very scary, are you not scared? And he said no, I always treat people with respect and that was a very important lesson for me to learn as a young child that everyone, regardless of who they are or where they come from, deserves to be treated with respect,' Wilt said.
Wilt said, if elected, she'd want to focus on using specialty courts to support families navigating the legal process and to make sure teens in the juvenile system receive the support they need.
'There are a lot of children living under the poverty line so they may not have the resources family–wise. As far as you know, mom and dad may not be able to provide support. They may be requiring some sources outside such as juvenile probation or mental health counseling or anything like that. That's a huge issue I think in Huntingdon County,' Wilt said.
Outside of the courtroom, Wilt can be found on the road, helping transport rescued pugs to shelters or to their new homes.
Both Wilt and Ghaner said they'll be strict on drug traffickers coming to Huntingdon for the sole purpose of committing crime.
The candidates are cross-filed, running on both the Republican and Democratic tickets.
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