Julie Phillips for 8th District Judge

There is an open judicial seat in Kalamazoo County due to the retirement of Judge Quinn Benson. There are four candidates running for the seat. They are Jeffrey Gagie, Bill Murphy, Sondra Nowak, and Julie Phillips.

Judicial races are different because they are non-partisan and candidates aren't allowed to talk about issues. All four candidates tout their experience on their websites.

Some information can be gleaned from examining endorsements. Gagie and Murphy both list the endorsements of several moderate Republicans on their websites. Nowak does not list any endorsements on her site. Julie Phillips has the endorsement of conservative Republican Mary Balkema.

Right to Life found that Phillips and Murphy meet their criteria, while the other two do not.

One troubling aspect of Murphy's campaign is his placement of several large signs in the city of Kalamazoo contrary to city ordinance.

A question about whether his 4-feet-by-8-feet signs are allowed under a Kalamazoo city ordinance is being researched, Murphy said. The Michigan Supreme Court has ruled municipalities may limit sign size, but it must be enforced across the board. Murphy contends there are many signs, as large or larger, in town that have not been challenged.

Murphy's attitude toward the signage law is troubling for someone running for a job to enforce the law.

Based on endorsements and experience, the best candidate is Julie Phillips. Conservatives should support her election.

See Julie's website: http://www.phillipsfordistrictcourt.com/