The Collective PAC Endorses Four Black Leaders for Municipal and Statewide Offices in Pennsylvania 

Thursday, May 13th, 2021

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, The Collective PAC, the nation’s largest political action committee dedicated to increasing Black political engagement, representation and power across all levels of government announced its endorsement of four municipal and statewide candidates in races in Pennsylvania. Founders of The Collective PAC, Quentin James and Stefanie Brown James, released the following statement:

“Through our Justice For All Initiative, The Collective PAC is committed to supporting justice champions committed to reforming our legal system. We are proud to endorse four candidates in Pennsylvania who are ready to build on their impressive records as community and judicial leaders that can bring their experiences to the bench as judges. Lori Dumas, Amanda Green-Hawkins, Maraleen Shields and Greg Yorgey-Girdy are committed to playing an active role in shaping the future of justice across Pennsylvania. The Collective PAC’s mission to build Black political power starts at the local level by supporting experienced leadership dedicated to ensuring justice and equity for all. We hold the utmost confidence that these four candidates will empower their communities and continue the work necessary to accomplish this goal. 

• Lori Dumas (Candidate for Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania) is a trusted leader who has served on the bench for over 18 years. She is a valued and impactful voice in the City of Philadelphia where she serves as a Common Pleas Court Judge in the Philadelphia Family Court – Juvenile Division. In this position, Lori has fought for fair and equal justice for the city’s most vulnerable children and families. Judge Dumas has also established herself as an innovative leader, creating the first Judicial District’s Juvenile Human Trafficking Court, which provided services to youth victims of commercial exploitation. 

 

• Amanda Green-Hawkins (Candidate for Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania) has been elected twice to the Allegheny County Council and has over 20 years of experience as an attorney. During her time with the county council, Amanda served as chair of the Economic Development Committee and passed legislation that installed protections prohibiting discrimination against people because of their gender identity or gender expression. This piece of legislation made Allegheny County only the third county in the Commonwealth to have such protections. 

 

• Maraleen Shields (Candidate for Lehigh Court of Common Pleas) has 18 years of experience as an attorney and currently works at Fitzpatrick Lentz & Bubba, P.C., handling wide ranging litigation matters within the medical field. An active member of the Lehigh Valley community, Maraleen serves on the Board of Directors of the Lehigh Valley Children’s Centers, is a member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, and was awarded their President’s Award in 2018.

 

• Greg Yorgey-Girdy (Candidate for Philadelphia Municipal Court) is an experienced attorney with nearly two decades of law experience in Philadelphia focused on litigation, conflicts and compliance. Greg has long been a fierce advocate for historically underrepresented communities and in 2020, served as the lead organizer for the Philly Queer March for Black Lives. If elected, Greg would make history as the first Black and openly gay man elected to this position. 

 

ABOUT THE COLLECTIVE PAC

The Collective PAC is working to create an America where Black people are equally represented at every level of government. The Collective PAC is strategically focused on creating a truly equitable democracy where our nation’s local, state and federal governments have diverse and talented elected leadership and Black people are fully represented in positions of power to create the policies necessary to progress our communities forward.