The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled Philadelphia judicial candidate Mike Huff ineligible to run in the upcoming primary election.

The back-and-forth legal dispute over Huff’s residency came to an end May 7, with the court upholding Commonwealth Court Judge Lori A. Dumas’ April 30 decision. 

Because the final decision was made so close to the May 20 election, Huff’s name will still appear on mail-in ballots and voting machines, according to Ninth Democratic Ward Leader Jeff Duncan. 

Duncan told the Local, “Voters casting mail-in ballots need to know that Mike Huff has been disqualified from running for judge in Philadelphia due to his residency.  As a result, anyone who casts a mail-in ballot for him is just wasting their vote.” 

The residency challenge came down to several factors in the election code used to determine the residency of a candidate, including utility bills and where a candidate sleeps or their family lives.

According to court documents, Huff and his wife purchased a home in West Mt. Airy in 1999, which was renovated into a triplex. They occupied one of the three apartments until 2004, when they moved to a home in Bala Cynwyd, where they remained for 20 years and raised three children. During that time, Huff and his wife retained ownership of their Mt. Airy home as a rental property. 

In May 2024, Huff purportedly returned to live at the Mt. Airy property, while his wife remained at the Bala Cynwyd property. 

After Huff declared his candidacy in March 2025, Julian Domanico, a Fifth Ward Democratic Committee person, challenged Huff's residency in court, claiming that Huff did not reside in the Mt. Airy property. 

The Pennsylvania Constitution required that a Court of Common Pleas Judge reside in their district for at least a year prior to their candidacy. According to court documents, residency in this context means “domicile” or “the place at which an individual has fixed his family home and principal establishment for an indefinite period of time.”

One factor used in the decision was Huff’s utility bills for the Mt. Airy property. The judge's opinion read, “We are simply not persuaded that these extraordinarily low utility bills for a two-bedroom unit with a single window air conditioner accurately reflect Candidate’s presence.”

The decision continued, “After considering the totality of circumstances, we respectfully cannot find that Candidate has established a simultaneous physical presence … and a genuine intent to permanently make [it] his principal home.”

In response to the decision, Huff said, “While our campaign is coming to a close, my commitment to Philadelphia is stronger than ever. I’ll continue to serve the clients that have counted on me to represent them in my 31-year legal practice. I’ll be out all across the city, showing up at neighborhood events, local music shows, and staying rooted in the fight for justice — wherever I’m needed most.”

He added, “This was never just about my race — it was about building a movement for a more just system in our city. Throughout the course of this campaign, we have helped to do just that. We’ll continue to do that work together.”

Tommy Tucker can be reached at Tommy@chestnuthilllocal.com.