Voters heading to the polls Tuesday will see just one name on the ballot for Butler County Common Pleas Court judge, but two longtime attorneys are vying to fill the seat vacated by Judge Marilyn Horan when she was appointed to the federal bench in Pittsburgh.

William “Wink” Robinson Jr. strongly believes his 30-plus years of experience make him the best candidate to fill the position. He won both the Republican and Democrat nod this spring to be the sole candidate appearing on the ballot.

However, Jennifer Gilliland Vanasdale — who came in second in the polls this spring for both parties — recently mounted a write-in campaign against Robinson in hopes of giving voters a choice in what would have been a one-candidate race.

Robinson cites his knowledge of Pennsylvania Rules of Civil Procedure and Rules of Evidence as critical to assuming this particular bench in the county's common pleas court because it deals primarily with the family court division. He added that much of his practice the past 15 years has centered on hearings in family court and orphan's court.

Vanasdale, on the other hand, considers her run for the bench as a write-in candidate the best way to proceed with her goal of fair and prompt justice to the family court. She also credits her experience with family court, stressing her personal journey of being adopted by her parents through the same court she now hopes to oversee.

This story is an excerpt of an article appearing in Sunday's Butler Eagle. To read the full story, pick up the paper or subscribe online.