- Last Updated on Sunday, 29 January 2017 20:05
Michael Thatcher of Jefferson Hills announced his candidacy for the office of Magisterial District Judge to serve the communities of South Park, Jefferson Hills, and Pleasant Hills in District Court 05-02-16.
Thatcher plans to pursue both the Republican and Democratic nominations for this position. The seat is currently vacant and was previously held by State Senator Guy Reschenthaler.
Thatcher, 33, is a Major in the Reserve of the United States Marine Corps, a 4th generation resident of Jefferson Hills, and a small business owner in Pleasant Hills. He is a 2002 graduate of Thomas Jefferson High School and is an honors graduate of the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis with a Bachelor’s of Science in History.
After being commissioned in the Marine Corps, Thatcher commanded infantry platoons on two combat deployments in Afghanistan. Married with two children, Thatcher transferred to the Reserves and returned to Jefferson Hills to raise his family in his hometown. He currently serves as a Company Commander and in May 2016 was awarded the prestigious Justice Marion “Jumping Joe” Chambers Award, awarded annually to one officer for outstanding leadership in the Marine Corps reserves.
Thatcher currently works as a project manager for his family business, Thatcher Realty LLC, and as a Realtor for All Pittsburgh Real Estate. He also serves the community as a volunteer firefighter at the Pleasant Hills and Gill Hall Volunteer Fire Companies.
“I want to bring my more than ten years of leadership experience as a Marine Corps Officer to the office of District Judge to make sure our communities stay safe places to live and work,” said Thatcher. “I plan to support programs that will help keep our kids focused on making positive decisions and prevent them from ending up in court. When problems do reach court, I will use impartial and level-headed judgment and decision making to uphold the law.”