Sharpsburg magistrate announces candidacy for Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas judge

District Judge Matthew Rudzki of Sharpsburg wants to become a judge for the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas.

Rudzki announced his candidacy to become a county judge Dec. 4, a few days after the death of Judge Alexander P. Bicket.

Bicket, 68, of Mt. Lebanon died on Dec. 2 at home. He had been diagnosed with lung cancer nearly three years ago and continued to work throughout his treatment.

A candidacy announcement video was posted to the Sharpsburg judge’s political Facebook page.

In it, the former Sharpsburg mayor and councilman says he has the “experience, qualifications and temperament to continue to strengthen our county’s justice system.”

Reached late evening Dec. 5, Rudzki said his campaign announcement was preplanned and had nothing to do with Bicket’s passing.

“We had always planned to launch my campaign when we did,” Rudzki said. “We had targeted that date about two weeks out.

“Judge Bicket was a great man and he was a great judge. He had previously taught at Fox Chapel Area High School before I was there.”

Rudzki graduated from Fox Chapel Area in 2004.

“I knew about his legacy as a teacher. He was always a judge that was compassionate, fair and always made the right decisions.”

At least eight county judicial seats out of 43 will be up for grabs next year.

Rudzki has served as Fox Chapel Area magistrate, based out of Sharpsburg, since January 2022.

“I love my role and serving my communities, and the time is right to take the meaningful impact I have had locally to a countywide scale, where I will be still serving the Fox Chapel Area,” Rudzki said.

“Alegheny County is a special place for so many families, including my own. My wife (Bridget) and I want to raise our three children in a county that is safe and justice-oriented.

“We can achieve that by continuing to strengthen our justice system by using restorative, fair and accessible practices. These three principles have meaningfully guided me on the bench as a district judge, and I will bring that perspective to the Court of Common Pleas.”

Rudzki has secured endorsements from various local leaders, including state Sen. Nick Pisciottano and state Rep. Mandy Steele.

Rudzki’s background

Rudzki, a lifelong Sharpsburg resident, graduated from Washington & Jefferson College in 2008, majoring in history and German.

He taught English to high school students in Austria on a Fulbright Fellowship before earning his law degree from the Duquesne University Kline School of Law in 2013.

He served on council for about a decade before being elected mayor in 2017.

In 2018, Rudzki received a Governor’s Award for Local Government Excellence. That same year, he was named the Humane Action Pittsburgh Legislator of the Year.

He was elected as district judge for the six Fox Chapel Area communities in November 2021.

During his time on the bench, Rudzki has launched several initiatives such as night court for juvenile cases and collaborated with Animal Friends to introduce therapy dogs in court.

The judge is a board member of the Sharpsburg Historical Commission and recently officiated his 100th wedding.