Maria Battista
Republican | Pennsylvania
Candidate Profile
Originalist (Conditional)
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Maria Battista
Party
Republican
Election Year
2025
Election
PA General School Boards, Judicial & Municipal Races
Race
Superior 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
ENDORSEMENTS
CONSERVATIVE (6)
Firearms Owners Against Crime; Bucks County Republican Committee; Fayette County Republican Party; Pennsylvania Republican Party; Republican National Hispanic Assembly of Pennsylvania
OTHER (1)
Commonwealth Leaders Fund
SELECTED CONTRIBUTIONS
CONSERVATIVE
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (4)
Local, County, and District Republican Organizations (2024); Carolyn Carluccio (2023); Cris Dush (2023); Tom Corbett (2008)
RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (21)
SGA PAC (2024); Camera Bartolotta (2023); Commonwealth Foundation (2023); Cris Dush (2023); Donna Oberlander (2023)
OTHER INFORMATION
Maria Battista is currently vice president of state and federal contracting for The Judge Group, after leaving her prior job to run for officem and previously served a assistant general counsel for the Pennsylvania Department of Health and State under Governors Tom Corbett (R) and Tom Wolf (D), as well as prosecutor in Franklin and Venango Counties and contrac specialist for the U.S. Department of Defense. (Spotlight PA article)
Describes herself as conservative. (Battista for Judge, Facebook post, 19 May 2025)
Emphasizes the importance of judges treating all equally, fairly and impartially. (Studio C70 – Academy at Palumbo. “Committee of Seventy: Superior Court Candidate Interview – Maria Battista.” YouTube, 20 Apr. 2023)
Emphasized the importance of “electing judges who will uphold the law and constitution as written.” (Battista for Judge, Facebook post, 14 Apr. 2025)
Battista said voters want judges who are fair, impartial and keep politics out of the courtoom, pledging to do the same.(Maria Battista Announces Candidacy for PA Superior Court. ExploreClarion)
Discussed judicial impartiality, emphasizing the importance of giving everyone a fair opportunity to be heard. (YourErie.com)
During an interview, Maria Battista stated that a good judge should have significant legal experience, independent thinking common sense, strong ethical standards, and a commitment to fairness and impartialoity. She described her judicial philosophy as originalist, comparing it to Justice Antonin Scalia's approach, and emphasized the importance of separation of powers noting that judges apply the law rather than make it. Battista also highlighted that voters want judges who are fair, impartial, and keep politics out of the courtroom. (On The Issues: Maria Battista, Republican for PA Superior Court, PNCTV)
In the 2023 Pennsylvania Coalition for Civil Justice Reform Judicial Candidate Questionnaire, Maria Battista discussed, among other topics, the role of stare decisis in appellate courts and said her judicial philosophy aligns with Justice Antonin Scalia's originalism, emphasizing judicial restraint and that the Constitution is a legal document, not a "living document."
QUESTIONNAIRE
RIGHT TO LIFE
Was Dobbs v. Jackson rightly decided according to the text of the Constitution? Please explain.
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I support a right to accelerate ending a human life.
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Human life deserves legal protection from conception until natural death.
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RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
Religious liberty is at risk in the United States.
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2ND AMENDMENT
The right to bear arms is fundamental and must be protected.
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OTHER IMPORTANT ISSUES
Which branch of government do you believe was intended to wield the most authority?
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How should the court address public health and individual freedoms in the time of a public health emergency?
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JUDICIAL PHILOSOPHY
Which current or past U.S. Supreme Court justice best reflects your judicial philosophy?
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Is there a separation of church and state in the Constitution? Please explain.
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Should courts address threats to religious liberty in the United States? If so, how?
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Was Obergefell v. Hodges rightly decided according to the text of the Constitution? Please explain.
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Was Bostock v. Clayton County rightly decided under the law? Please explain.
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I agree that “the custody, care and nurture of the child reside first in the parents, whose primary function and freedom include preparation for obligations the state can neither supply nor hinder.” (Troxel v. Granville, 530 U.S. 57, 65-66 (2000); quoting Prince v. Massachusetts, 321 U.S. 158, 166 (1944).
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What should a judge do when legislative texts and court precedents dictate different results?
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When should a judge overturn past court decisions?
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When, if ever, should a judge take popular opinion or the social views of the majority into consideration?
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Do you believe the meaning of the Constitution changes over time, absent changes through the amendment process of Article V?
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What do you believe is the single most important quality a judge should possess?
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If you are an incumbent judge, describe a recent instance in which you acted to preserve your judicial independence. If you are an aspiring judge, how do you plan to remain independent if elected to the bench?
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ABOUT YOU
What, if any, church or organizations do you belong to?
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I voted in these primaries and general elections:
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Have you ever been convicted of a felony? If so, please explain.
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Have you ever been penalized for sexual misconduct in either civil or criminal court? If so, please explain.
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Would you describe your judicial philosophy as originalist, living constitutionalist, or something else? Please explain.
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VALUES
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
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What is your view of parental rights regarding the upbringing of children, specifically education and sexual "identity"?
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I support "gender identity" as a specially protected class. Please explain.
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What do you believe to be true about the human condition?
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EQUALITY
I agree with Critical Race Theory (CRT).
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