Autumn Fair (Photo courtesy of The Committee to Elect Autumn Fair for MDJ)
Sitting for an interview, Autumn Fair recounted the ways that she’s served her community, a list that now includes her first bid for public office.
Earlier this year, the Harrisburg native decided to run for magisterial district judge for District 12-1-02, serving Midtown and Uptown.
However, Fair was not expecting that, after planning to run and gathering about 200 community signatures on her petition, her name would be taken off the ballot following a court challenge.
But even that didn’t keep her from running, as soon she launched a write-in campaign.
“I’m here, and I’m connected in the community,” she said. “At the end of the day, it’s about the service. It’s about the people.”
Fair, in her write-in campaign, will attempt to defeat Matthew Pianka, who is the only candidate on the ballot, cross-filing for both the Democratic and Republican nominations.
Fair’s name would have appeared next to Pianka’s on the primary election ballot, had it not been for a petition in Dauphin County court to set aside her nomination petition.
Harrisburg resident Josette Pulley, with her attorney Karen Balaban, asked the court to consider striking over half of Fair’s petition signatures, which would bring her count under 100, the required number. The plaintiff claimed that many people who signed were not registered to vote at the address they listed, were not registered in the correct district, or did not fill in each required field on the petition, among other challenges.
In the end, the court ordered that Fair’s name not be placed on the ballot. Fair believes that the family of her opponent was behind the challenge.
“It felt wrong,” Fair said. “It’s a manipulative strategy that they’ve been using, legally, so that they don’t have competition for their candidate.”
If elected, Pianka, chair of Harrisburg’s Zoning Hearing Board, would be the third in his family to hold the district judge’s seat, reaching back decades. His mother, Barbara Pianka, currently holds the seat, but is not running for re-election this year. Before her, James Pianka, her husband, held the office.
Matthew Pianka could not be reached for comment.
Much of Fair’s motivation for launching her write-in bid comes from her belief that voters should have a choice when selecting their new judge, she said.
“The people should have a choice in who they’re electing and what they would like,” she said. “This community deserves a little bit better, and they deserve a choice.”
District 12-1-02 is one of many local districts that only have one candidate on the ballot for magisterial district judge. In Dauphin County, only one of seven races is contested.
Over the years, Fair has gained experience in business, education and community leadership. Currently, she is an educator at Harrisburg High School-John Harris Campus, teaching business classes to students, and owns a consulting business for small businesses and startups. Fair is also pursuing her doctorate in business.
It’s these experiences and skills that she hopes to bring to office. She also explained her desire to see an office that is diverse and reflective of the community.
Fair noted other initiatives she would like to start, like extending office hours and reducing the use of cash bail—two things that she believes will promote accessibility and equity.
With the primary election on May 16 just weeks away, Fair’s campaign plan is to continue what she says she’s always done—spending time in local businesses and neighborhoods, talking to the people that have been her neighbors for years.
She feels confident about her odds come time to vote.
“I feel good,” she said. “I’m qualified and prepared for this. I don’t believe it’ll be that challenging.”
To find out more about Autumn Fair and her campaign, visit her website.
This story will be updated if TheBurg receives a comment from Matthew Pianka.
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