OK, so the Philly mayor's race has gotten kind of dull. There's still a LOT at stake in the Nov. 6 election, to add to mansei's recent post. Here's the scariest example, and it's recent:

Pennsylvanians who will soon put two new justices on the state's highest court can choose between candidates including a follower of conservative U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia or an admirer of former liberal justice William J. Brennan Jr.

And as Dan posted the other day, the PA Supreme Court will decide whether or not Philadelphia has the power to make its own campaign finance laws. Similar cases will come before the court again, especially if the state enacts what is perhaps the most important reform -- statewide campaign finance reform. Do you think two new Republican justices will strike a blow AGAINST big money in politics? :-)

Once we get a statewide law passed to ban firing someone just for being gay or transgender (or straight -- yep, everyone would be covered), what kind of judges do you want ruling on whether it's constitutional?

Ray did a good entry last month ("titled in part "Don't Forget There's Still an Election!")

And at the other end of the state, there's a report that the Republicans are showing more strength than usual in the Pittsburgh mayor's race -- their candidate has raised $300,000 -- 30 times what their previous candidate did. I still think we'll win that race, but that development means we probably need more votes from elsewhere statewide, like the good folks in Philly.

The bottom line: Please, PLEASE vote Nov. 6 and please vote Democratic in all of the state judge races. The polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Nov. 6.

I also have a few personal recommendations on the retention votes on state appeals court judges:

NO on Supreme Court Justice Thomas Saylor. Saylor, a Republican, has the support of the far-right Club for Growth (headed by Santorum wannabe Pat Toomey) and reoprtedly also has backing from the head of the rabidly anti-gay Pennsylvania Family Institute.

NO on Superior Court Judge Correale Stevens. Stevens, a Republican former state legislator, crossed the line and made a joke of impartiality by speaking at a right-wing anti-immigration press conference in Harrisburg recently. And Stevens wrote a court opinion that would have blocked same-sex couples from adopting their partner's children. (His ruling must have been overruled by the state Supreme Court, because second-parent adoption IS allowed in Pennsylvania now.)

YES on Superior Court Judge John Musmanno. Musmanno, a Democrat, is considered generally pro-consumer. For example, he ruled against Comcast when it wanted the court to throw out a challenge to the company's policy of charging customers for remotes and converter boxes even when customers didn't need them

YES on Commonwealth Court Judge Bernard McGinley. McGinley, a Democrat, cast the deciding vote two years ago in favor of applying the state right to know law to the salaries of four high-ranking Penn State officials. He also ruled this year that payday lender Advance America violated state consumer laws by charging big monthly loan fees. That ruling has reportedly led to Advance America shutting down 31 of its 98 locations in Pennsylvania and may yet lead to it shutting down the other 67.