Megan Martin
Republican | Pennsylvania
Candidate Profile
Originalist (Conditional)
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Megan Martin
Party
Republican
Election Year
2023
Election
Supreme Court Primary, HD108, HD163 Special
Race
Commonwealth Court
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
Candidate did not provide
WORK & MILITARY
Candidate did not provide
AFFILIATIONS
Candidate did not provide
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
Candidate did not provide
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
Candidate did not provide
Race
ENDORSEMENTS
CONSERVATIVE (4)
Pennsylvania Pro-life Federation PAC
Life PAC Southwestern Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Republican Party
Republican National Hispanic Assembly of Pennsylvania
SELECTED CONTRIBUTIONS
CONSERVATIVE
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (0)
RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (1)
Mike Regan (2022)
OTHER INFORMATION
Megan L. Martin (R) has worked in the legal field for 30 years, including positions in all three branches of government. As former Secretary-Parliamentarian of Pennsylvania's Senate (2012-2022), Martin "advised the chamber's presiding officer on how to run floor proceedings in accordance with the state constitution, law and chamber rules."
During her time with the Senate, she served as the Senate Right-to-Know Law Appeal Officer, which “is a quasi-judicial role.” Martin stated, “in this role, I reviewed Senate RTK Law Appeals and issued legal opinions in accordance with the RTK Law. In this important role, I defended the constitution and adhered to the RTK Law as it was written by the General Assembly, and reviewed each appeal with fresh, independent, fair and impartial eyes.” [pg 10]
During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Martin also served as the Chaplain of the Senate, stating she is “a woman of deep faith and thoughtfully prepared my daily session invocations, which strengthened my faith during those difficult times.” [pg 10]
She is credited for helping to make the Pennsylvania Senate “the first legislative chamber in the nation to provide full remote participation of its members during the COVID-19 pandemic.” She was later “honored by the National Conference of State Legislature" for this.
Before, she was Deputy Counsel to former Governor Tom Corbett from 2011-2012. She was also a former Governor Tom Ridge staffer from 1995-2002.
See her Personal Data Questionnaire for more information on her work history.
The state bar association “recommended” her stating her “substantial administrative law experience will serve her well.” (the “recommended” rating is given“ [b]ased on legal ability, experience, integrity, and temperament, the candidate would be able to perform satisfactorily as a judge or justice of the court for which he/she is a candidate.”)
Controversial Issues
Judicial Philosophy
- “Megan Martin Believes In”
- A fair and impartial judiciary
- The rule of law
- Protecting constitutional rights and freedoms
- Holding government accountable
- Public servants acting in the public's interest
- Campaign Website
- "Megan . . . will be a fair and impartial jurist who will stand up for constitutional rights. Megan will not legislate from the bench, and instead, will apply the law as it was written by the General Assembly. She will ensure that, just like people, our government follows the law, too. Megan will be a staunch defender of the rule of law for the people of Pennsylvania."
- "Megan Martin shares our values of faith, family, hard work and an admiration for the Constitution, and holds a judicial philosophy you can trust. She will bring a deep respect for our republic, an understanding of separation of powers, and a reverence for the rule of law to our Commonwealth Court.”
- Personal Data Questionnaire
- “... I will bring to the bench a judicial philosophy that people can trust–I will be a fair and impartial judge who defends the rule of law, protects constitutional rights and freedoms, holds the government accountable, and always acts in the public ‘s interest by following the constitution and the law. And, I will not legislate from the bench.” [29]
- Referring to her work as a RTK Officer stated “This work reveals . . . my judicial philosophy of strictly adhering to the law as it was written by the General Assembly.” [30]
- “The people of this great Commonwealth deserve to have judges who are fair and impartial, who respect and defend the rule of law, who protect our constitutional rights and freedoms, and who hold the government accountable, because just like you and I, the government must follow the law, too. Our judges must be exemplary public servants who act in the public's interest, not to further any political agenda or their own personal agenda. We need our judges to be independent as our constitution created the judiciary to be. I will be that judge.” [29]
Notable Right-to-Know Appeals
- Appeal of Bumsted, et al. Martin made the determination in the (Senate RTK Appeal 02-2020) “This appeal presents the following question for review: whether the Senate Open Records Officer, when responding to a request under the RTK Law, properly redacted limited information (names of attendees at meetings with legislative staff and the legislative topics discussed) contained in legislative records of the Senate on the basis of legislative privilege.” [pg 8] Martin “affirmed the decision of the Senate Open Records Officer based upon a thorough analysis of legislative records, redactions, and legislative privilege.” [pg 21]
- "The Requesters sought: '...expenses of the Office of Senate President Pro Tempore [.]” [pg 1]
- The Open Records Officer said “she redacted information revealing the individuals with whom PPT legislative staff met and the specific legislative issue or issues they discussed.” [pg 13]
- Martin concluded that “[b]ased upon the formatting of the report, which includes several pages of unredacted information, and based, in part, on the Senate's declaration, it appears clear (certainly more likely than not) that the limited redactions are related only to the identities of the individuals with whom the PPT's legislative staff met, and the specific topics of the matters discussed - information that is clearly shielded by legislative privilege.” [35]
- Martin made the determination in the Appeal of Kennedy, (Senate RTK Appeal 02-2019). This appeal “presented an issue of a requester requesting a large volume of non-specific documents from the Senate. I affirmed the decision below based upon a thorough analysis of various procedural arguments (requester must provide a copy of the request with his appeal; requester must address the grounds upon which he asserts the requested record is releasable and the grounds upon which the Open Records Officer denied the request; a requester may not modify, explain or expand a request on appeal) and the merits of the appeal (specifically of the request; request lacks specificity when it requires legal research; a request must seek records not answer to questions; request must seek access to legislative records; Open Records Officer may provide access to legislative records pursuant to section 704 of the Act).” [pg 21]
Megan Martin completed the Pennsylvania Bar Association's Questionnaire.
Megan Martin completed the PA Family Voter Survey.*
*Information received after the voter guide was published and was not considered in candidate evaluation.
Spotlight PA article
Recommended by Firearm Owners against Crime.
Profile from the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference.
QUESTIONNAIRE
VALUES
I agree with Critical Race Theory (CRT) which asserts that the institutions in the United States are fundamentally racist.
Did not answer
Judeo-Christian values established a framework of morality that is necessary for our system of limited government.
Did not answer
I agree with Critical Race Theory (CRT) which asserts that the institutions in the United States are fundamentally racist.
Did not answer
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
Did not answer
Judeo-Christian values established a framework of morality that is necessary for our system of limited government.
Did not answer
What types of pro bono work have you done?
Did not answer
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
Did not answer
What types of pro bono work have you done?
Did not answer
ABOUT YOU
Have you ever been convicted of a felony or been penalized in either civil or criminal court for sexual misconduct? If so, please explain.
Did not answer
What education or experience qualifies you to hold the office for which you seek election?
Did not answer
Have you ever been convicted of a felony or been penalized in either civil or criminal court for sexual misconduct? If so, please explain.
Did not answer
Why should the voters choose you?
Did not answer
What education or experience qualifies you to hold the office for which you seek election?
Did not answer
I voted in these primaries and general elections:
Did not answer
Why should the voters choose you?
Did not answer
I voted in these primaries and general elections:
Did not answer
JUDICIAL PHILOSOPHY
Justices should not interpret the federal and state constitutions as living documents, but should use a textualist and originalist approach to interpretation.
Did not answer
Justices should not interpret the federal and state constitutions as living documents, but should use a textualist and originalist approach to interpretation.
Did not answer
What is the proper use of legislative history in interpreting statutory law?
Did not answer
What is the proper use of legislative history in interpreting statutory law?
Did not answer
Which current or past U.S. Supreme Court justice best reflects your judicial philosophy?
Did not answer
Which current or past U.S. Supreme Court justice best reflects your judicial philosophy?
Did not answer
How should a court address the balance between public health and individual freedoms in the time of a pandemic?
Did not answer
How should a court address the balance between public health and individual freedoms in the time of a pandemic?
Did not answer
In light of the case Bostock v. Clayton County, in which the U.S. Supreme Court interpreted the 1964 Civil Rights Act to include a prohibition on sexual-orientation discrimination, which justice’s opinion most closely aligns with your own opinion?
Did not answer
In light of the case Bostock v. Clayton County, in which the U.S. Supreme Court interpreted the 1964 Civil Rights Act to include a prohibition on sexual-orientation discrimination, which justice’s opinion most closely aligns with your own opinion?
Did not answer
What role (if any) does a judge have in maintaining the separation of church and state?
Did not answer
What role (if any) does a judge have in maintaining the separation of church and state?
Did not answer
Religious liberty is at risk in the United States and deserves the highest level of protection in the law.
Did not answer
When should a judge overturn past court decisions?
Did not answer
Religious liberty is at risk in the United States and deserves the highest level of protection in the law.
Did not answer
How should a judge determine which rights are protected by the Constitution even though they are not specifically mentioned?
Did not answer
When should a judge overturn past court decisions?
Did not answer
What legal principles should a court consider when evaluating parents’ objection to their child obtaining medical procedures or drugs designed to affirm the child’s desired gender?
Did not answer
How should a judge determine which rights are protected by the Constitution even though they are not specifically mentioned?
Did not answer
What principles should guide a court’s analysis of whether your state’s constitution gives terminally ill patients a right to assisted suicide?
Did not answer
What legal principles should a court consider when evaluating parents’ objection to their child obtaining medical procedures or drugs designed to affirm the child’s desired gender?
Did not answer
Would you describe your judicial philosophy as originalist, living constitutionalist, or something else?
Did not answer
What principles should guide a court’s analysis of whether your state’s constitution gives terminally ill patients a right to assisted suicide?
Did not answer
Would you describe your judicial philosophy as originalist, living constitutionalist, or something else?
Did not answer
