Mayors stand behind Rick Lowe for county bench

To the Times:

As mayors and former mayors of communities in Delaware County, we write to urge everyone to vote for former Swarthmore Mayor Rick Lowe to serve as a judge on the Court of Common Pleas in Delaware County. We believe that Rick possesses all the personal and professional qualifications needed to be an exceptional judge.

As mayors, we know the importance of individuals stepping up to improve their communities. Rick has deep ties to Delaware County, and has a sustained record of community engagement. Rick has lived in Delaware County with his wife and two daughters for 28 years (23 in Swarthmore and the last 5 in Middletown). Very active in the Swarthmore community, he served as the borough’s solicitor and later as its mayor. In that job, Rick demonstrated a strong ability to bring different people together and to treat everyone fairly. In 2015 the Swarthmore Lions Club named him “Citizen of the Year.”

As mayors, we know that judges should share our strong commitment to the less fortunate members of our community. Early in his career, Rick was extremely active with Philadelphia Volunteers for the Indigent and served on the board, including a term as President. More recently, for the last five years, he has acted as a volunteer instructor and liaison for the incarcerated men at Graterford/ Phoenix prison, where he started out teaching a course in American constitutional history.

We believe that a judge should have strong academic and professional credentials. By that measure, Rick is exceptionally well qualified. Rick graduated from Yale University and New York University School of Law, and has practiced law for more than three decades concentrating in construction law. He has been named a “Super Lawyer” more than 15 times and holds a Martindale rating of “AV Preeminent Peer Rated for the Highest Level of Professional Excellence.”

Finally, we believe that a judge should be independent and have an unwavering commitment to fairness. Rick stands out here too: he has an unblemished record of honesty, integrity, fairness and collegiality. He is widely respected for his legal acumen, leadership skills, and work ethic. He is both highly principled and compassionate.

We are confident that Rick would serve with distinction as a judge on the Court of Common Pleas. Please join us in voting for him on Nov. 5. Tim Kearney, state senator and former mayor of Swarthmore

Bill Cumby, former mayor of Swarthmore

Kevin Cunningham, mayor of Rutledge

Frank W. Daly, former mayor of Media

Eck Gerner, former mayor of Swarthmore

Mike Hess, mayor of Brookhaven

Thaddeus Kirkland, mayor of Chester City

John Linder, former mayor of Chester City

Bob McMahon, mayor of Media

Marty Spiegel, mayor of Swarthmore