Politics in Pennsylvania can feel like a riddle wrapped in an enigma, especially when you're looking at local judicial races. If you've been scrolling through Westmoreland County election results or checking out the local bench, you've probably asked: is Scott Mears a Democrat? It sounds like a simple "yes or no" question. But, honestly, the answer is way more interesting than a checkbox on a voter registration form.
Scott Mears is a judge on the Westmoreland County Court of Common Pleas. He’s been there since 2016. If you look at his 2015 election run, you’ll see his name pop up on both sides of the ticket. It’s confusing. People see "Democrat" on one flyer and "Republican" on another.
Let's get the technical bit out of the way first. Scott Mears ran as a Democrat in the 2015 primary. He also ran as a Republican. In Pennsylvania, judicial candidates are allowed to "cross-file." This basically means they can seek the nomination of both major parties at the same time. Mears didn't just try; he actually won a spot on both the Democratic and Republican tickets for the general election. That’s a massive win in the local political world. It’s also why people are still scratching their heads about his "real" affiliation.
Understanding Scott Mears and the Cross-Filing Chaos
Why do judges do this? It’s not just to get more votes, though that’s a nice side effect. The idea is that judges are supposed to be non-partisan. They aren't legislators. They don't make laws; they interpret them. By winning both primaries, Mears essentially signaled to voters that he had broad appeal across the aisle.
In that 2015 race, Scott Mears was technically the top vote-getter on the Democratic side during the primary. He also secured the third-place spot on the Republican primary ticket. When the general election rolled around in November 2015, he appeared as a "Democratic/Republican" candidate. He ended up pulling in about 31% of the total vote, which was higher than any other candidate in that three-seat race.
So, if you’re looking at his history, Scott Mears has deep ties to the Democratic party structure in Westmoreland County. Before he was Judge Mears, he was a well-known local attorney at the firm Mears, Smith, Houser & Boyle. He also served as the solicitor for the Westmoreland County Land Bank. During his initial campaign, he was often identified as a Democrat in local news coverage, specifically when discussing his primary victory.
The Shift Toward Retention
Fast forward to late 2025. Judge Mears just went through a retention election. In Pennsylvania, once a judge is elected to a 10-year term, they don't have to run against an opponent again. Instead, voters just get a "Yes" or "No" question: Should Scott Mears be retained for another 10 years?
On November 4, 2025, voters in Westmoreland County gave him a resounding "Yes." He secured about 66% of the vote. It's worth noting that he ran alongside Tim Krieger and Harry Smail Jr., both of whom are generally associated with the Republican side of things. All three were retained comfortably. This highlights a weird quirk of Westmoreland County politics—even as the county has shifted heavily toward the Republican party in state and national races, voters still tend to trust the incumbents on the local bench, regardless of how they started out.
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What has he actually done on the bench?
If you want to know what a judge "is," look at their courtroom, not their party registration. Mears spent a big chunk of his first term in Family Court. That’s the "in the trenches" work—custody battles, divorces, the hard stuff. In 2023, he moved over to preside over the county’s drug court program.
This is where the "Democrat" or "Republican" labels really start to fall apart. Drug court is about rehabilitation as much as it is about punishment. Mears has been vocal about the need to be "proactive rather than merely reactive" when it comes to the opioid crisis. He’s pushed for more education and treatment options while also maintaining that there need to be consequences for breaking the law. That's a balancing act that usually earns respect from both liberals and conservatives.
- Judicial Philosophy: He has explicitly stated that his job is to "uphold the letter of the law," not to insert his personal views.
- Community Involvement: He’s been a Law Day volunteer and is active in the Greensburg Rotary.
- Bar Association Support: In a 2025 survey, nearly 97% of local lawyers in the Westmoreland County Bar Association supported his retention. That's a staggering number. Lawyers are the ones who actually see him work every day, and they clearly think he's doing it right.
Why the Question "Is Scott Mears a Democrat?" Still Matters
Even though he's a judge, people care about the label because they want to know a person's values. Westmoreland County has changed a lot. It used to be a Democratic stronghold, filled with union workers and "old school" Pennsylvania Democrats. Now, it's very "Red."
When someone like Scott Mears, who originally ran with Democratic backing, continues to win big in a Republican-leaning county, it tells you two things. First, he's personally popular and well-respected. Second, the local electorate still distinguishes between "Washington D.C. politics" and "the guy who decides my neighbor's custody case."
Mears has also mentioned goals for his next ten years, like launching a special court for participants with mental health needs. This kind of "specialty court" approach is often associated with more progressive judicial reform, but it has gained a lot of traction among conservative judges who see it as a way to reduce recidivism and save taxpayer money.
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Real-World Perception vs. Party Registration
If you were to ask a local political consultant, they’d tell you that Scott Mears is a Democrat. But if you asked a person who just walked out of his courtroom, they'd probably just say he's "the judge."
It’s also important to remember that in 2015, Mears knocked on over 7,000 doors. You don't do that by just sticking to one party's base. You do that by talking to everyone. He’s a Unity resident, a University of Pittsburgh grad, and a Penn State law alum. He’s "local" through and through. In Westmoreland, "local" often carries more weight than "Democrat" or "Republican."
Actionable Insights for Voters and Researchers
If you're trying to figure out where a judicial candidate or sitting judge stands, don't just look at the party label. Here is how you actually vet someone like Scott Mears:
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- Check Bar Association Surveys: These are gold. They show what the actual legal experts think about a judge's temperament and knowledge. Mears' 96%+ rating is basically an A+ in the legal world.
- Look at Cross-Filing Results: If a candidate wins both primaries (like Mears did), they have managed to convince both sides that they aren't a "partisan hack."
- Read Their Own Words: Mears has been consistent about his role. He's said multiple times that judges enforce the law, they don't make it. Whether the issue is medicinal marijuana or criminal sentencing, he points back to the legislature.
- Watch the Specialty Courts: If you care about reform, look at how a judge handles things like Drug Court or Veterans Court. Mears' leadership in the Westmoreland drug court is a better indicator of his "politics" than any voter registration card.
Ultimately, Scott Mears is a Democrat by registration and history, but he functions as a non-partisan jurist who has earned the trust of a very Republican county. He just started a new 10-year term that will take him through 2035. For the next decade, his "party" will be the law of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
If you want to understand more about how Pennsylvania’s court system works or find specific rulings from the Westmoreland County bench, you can check the official Westmoreland County Court records or the Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System website. Keeping an eye on the upcoming 2026 local elections will also give you a better sense of how the political landscape in Western PA continues to shift.