Magisterial District Judge Bill Kissner has announced his bid for re-election. District Judge Kissner is cross-filed and running on the Democrat and Republican ballots in the May 16 primary. Kissner has servedPalmerton, Bowmanstown, Parryville, Franklin Township, Towamensing and Lower Towamensing since 2012.

He is the son of the late William "Sam" Kissner Jr. and the late Pat Evert. Kissner is a graduate of Palmerton Area High School. he also attended St. John Neumann (formally Sacred Heart School).Kissner is a graduate of Lehigh Carbon Community College and Kutztown University. Before his election in 2011, he served as a police officer for the City of Bethlehem for more than 20 years.Kissner is a member of the Special Court Judges Association. The SCJAP serves to improve, educate and inform other district judges of changes in legislation, courtroom proceedings and judicial ethics. Kissner has served as SCJAP District 10 president since 2013, when he was elected by his peers.District 10 encompasses six counties and 66 district courts. He also serves on two state committees and has been appointed to serve as an adviser for SCJAP Executive Board in 2017-18.Kissner has performed roughly 300 weddings and presided over 26,000 cases involving preliminary hearings, arraignments, summary trials, civil hearings and landlord/tenant cases.Kissner is a member of Lehighton Lodge No. 621 F&AM of PA, and has been awarded his 32nd Degree by the Valley of Allentown

A.A.S.R.M. He is a social member of the Franklin Township Fire Company, Franklin Township Community Parks Committee, Palmerton Area Historical Society and the Kibler School.He has been married to Marlyn Kissner for over 20 years. Marlyn is an executive vice president of the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce, and executive director of the Carbon Chamber and Economic Development Corporation.Marlyn was recognized as one of the Top 25 Women in Business by the NEPA Business Journal in 2016, and one of the 15 Most Influential Business Leaders in the Lehigh Valley in 2017.Kissner is proud and honored to continue his service for his communities with distinguished, impartial and fair justice.