In the Republican primary, Stoltz defeated Bigelow-Cherry 1,538 to 1,261; while in the Democratic primary, Bigelow-Cherry beat Stoltz 390 to 166.

Winning the Republican nomination in this heavily Republican area gives him a decided advantage in the fall, according to Stoltz.

“I think it makes all the difference in the world,” he said. “If I had won (only) on the Democratic side, I would have dropped out.”

When asked if he was confident, he responded: “Very confident.”

Bigelow-Cherry

“I got this,” Stoltz said.

Asked whether he was surprised at winning the nomination of the dominant party, he said no.

He’s a “God-fearing man, and a huge Second Amendment supporter, (and) that generally wins over Republican hearts, more so than Democratic (ones).”

“(But) I was hoping to win the Democratic side, too,” he said.

Bigelow-Cherry said she is “extremely proud of her campaign” in a voice message.

“I appreciate all the support,” she said.

In his campaign, Stoltz confronted his not being an attorney, stating in a Mirror ad that nearly two-thirds of the state’s MDJs aren’t lawyers; that two of the last three Tyrone MDJs weren’t lawyers and that three of the five current Blair County MDJs aren’t lawyers.

“It’s the people’s court,” he stated at an election night watch party in Bellwood Tuesday. “And I’m the peoples’ man.”

He is planning to be a “commonsense MDJ,” he said. “Thoughtful, fair — but firm.”

In information Bigelow-Cherry provided to the Mirror for its pre-election coverage, she pointed out that she could have run for one of two open seats on the Blair County Court of Common Pleas bench, but that “all levels of the court system deserve qualified, competent, proven individuals to serve as judges” — clearly referring to the MDJ seat she is seeking.

MDJs are called upon to make “important legal decisions which require legal training and experience,” she wrote.

She emphasized her longstanding law practice that includes both criminal and civil court and work as a court-appointed arbitrator.

During her career, she has learned “to listen to both sides,” she said.

She plans to be “impartial and base my decisions on the law without regard to wealth, power, status or endorsements,” she wrote.

Her knowledge of the law is leavened with a psychology degree, she added.

Stoltz plans to go to “judge school” next month and “push forward super hard,” he said.

“The same thing I do in everything in life — 150 percent, full speed,” he said.

Mirror Staff Writer William Kibler is at 814-949-7038.