C. David Vogt Jr.

C. David Vogt Jr., 48, of Ridge Runner Lane, Lewistown, will cross file on both the Republican and Democratic tickets for magisterial district judge of the 58-3-01 district.The district includes Juniata Terrace, McVeytown, Kistler and Newton Hamilton boroughs, Lewistown Borough (wards one through five) and Bratton, Granville, Oliver and Wayne townships.The position has a six-year term that begins in 2006.Vogt, a lifelong Mifflin County resident, has owned several businesses, including Vogt's Rendering Works, Vogt and Sokol Machine Shop and Olde Mill Pet and Garden.He and his wife, Deborah, currently are partners in LewVo's Restaurant in Burnham.Vogt, a Republican, believes his business and personal experiences would be an asset to the office."The job requires you to be fair, firm and consistent and exercise common sense.These qualities I have with my education and lifelong experiences," Vogt said.Vogt said he made the decision in spring 2004 to run for the magisterial district judge's office."I want to change direction in my life.I want to do something more challenging and something to help the community," Vogt said.If elected, Vogt said he will close or sell Olde Mill Pet and Garden so he can commit full-time to the position.Vogt added that it is his wife, not he, who oversees the day-to-day operations of the restaurant.To become a magisterial district judge position in Pennsylvania, a person is required to attend a month-long course and become certified.Vogt said he starts class Jan. 31 and will be certified by the election.He said he believes the magisterial district judge's office is designed to be run by a lay person."You don't have to have a law degree, but you do need an education and common sense, and you need to use resources available to you," Vogt said."I'm capable to do that."A 1974 graduate of Lewistown High School, Vogt earned a bachelor's degree in agricultural education at Penn State in 1979. Vogt said he believes magisterial district judge's court is a people's court where a person shouldn't necessarily have to hire a lawyer to plead his or her case.However, people need to be accountable for their actions."People need to think before they act.For every action there is a reaction - sometimes good and sometimes bad," Vogt said. Active in the community, Vogt is a member, as well as past chairman of the board, treasurer and finance committee chairman of Ellen Chapel Church.
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Vogt is a life member of the Penn State Alumni Association, National Wildlife Federation and National Rifle Association.He is on the Ag Advisory Board of the Mifflin Juniata Career and Technology Center and a lifelong supporter of 4-H and FFA.