The result shapes the makeup of the seven-member court through the next presidential election in 2028. The three justices had been elected as Democrats, and voters were deciding whether to extend the court\u2019s Democratic majority. Rejecting all three could have plunged the court into a partisan deadlock if the state\u2019s politically divided government could not agree on temporary appointees to fill in.<\/p>\n
Justices Christine Donohue, Kevin Dougherty and David Wecht won new terms, with support from the Democratic Party and allies including Planned Parenthood, labor unions, trial lawyers and a constellation of progressive groups.<\/p>\n
In a statement, Donohue said the result shows that \u201cPennsylvanians have trust in the independence of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and, additionally, appreciate the importance of a stable Pennsylvania Supreme Court.\u201d<\/p>\n
Democratic Gov.\u00a0Josh Shapiro<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 considered a potential White House contender in 2028 who is up for reelection next year \u2014 appeared in ads for the justices and lobbied for their retention.<\/p>\n Pennsylvania \u201csent a resounding message by voting to retain all three Supreme Court Justices who will continue to defend the rule of law, safeguard our elections, and protect our constitutional rights,\u201d Shapiro said in a statement.<\/p>\n In addition to voting rights, Democrats leaned heavily on the protection of abortion rights in a state where abortion remains legal.<\/p>\n All three were running in what is called a retention election, in which voters are asked to vote \u201cyes\u201d or \u201cno\u201d on whether to give current justices another term. They were not identified by party on the ballot. Terms are 10 years, though age limits can shorten that time on the bench.<\/p>\n Reelecting them extends the Democratic majority, currently 5-2.<\/p>\n Christine Donohue, a Pennsylvania Supreme Court justice running for another term, acknowledges applause after speaking to the crowd at a Lancaster County Democratic Party event, Oct. 29, 2025, in Lancaster, Pa. (AP Photo\/Marc Levy)\n<\/p>\n FILE \u2013 Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice Kevin Dougherty speaks at his swearing in ceremony at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Jan. 5, 2016. (AP Photo\/Matt Rourke, File)\n<\/p>\n FILE \u2013 Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice David N. Wecht attends a ceremony at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Jan. 5, 2016. (AP Photo\/Matt Rourke, File)\n<\/p>\n Show Caption<\/p>\n 1 of 3<\/p>\n Christine Donohue, a Pennsylvania Supreme Court justice running for another term, acknowledges applause after speaking to the crowd at a Lancaster County Democratic Party event, Oct. 29, 2025, in Lancaster, Pa. (AP Photo\/Marc Levy)\n<\/p>\n Expand<\/a><\/p>\n The court could again be called on to settle partisan battles over election laws ahead of next year\u2019s midterm contests to decide the governor\u2019s office and the U.S. House majority. Democrats need to gain just three seats in the 2026 elections to take control of the House.<\/p>\n Traditionally, a retention campaign is an under-the-radar election. But in an era of increasingly polarized judicial elections, spending in the race was on track to exceed $15 million, far surpassing previous spending in a retention election.<\/p>\n While not all spending or financial sources have been disclosed publicly, Democrats easily outspent a\u00a0Republican campaign<\/a>\u00a0by as much as four-to-one. President Donald Trump didn\u2019t campaign against the justices and only weighed in on social media on Sunday night, urging Republicans to vote \u201cno.\u201d<\/p>\n Defeating all three justices could have left the bench in a partisan 2-2 stalemate for two years, including through next year\u2019s elections.<\/p>\n In recent years, the court has made major decisions around voting and elections, necessitated in part by the\u00a0politically divided<\/a>\u00a0and often stalemated state government.<\/p>\n The justices in 2018\u00a0threw out<\/a>\u00a0a GOP-drawn map of Pennsylvania\u2019s congressional districts as unconstitutionally gerrymandered and, four years later,\u00a0again picked new boundaries<\/a>\u00a0after a stalemate in government.<\/p>\n The court turned away\u00a0GOP challenges<\/a>\u00a0to Pennsylvania\u2019s expansive vote-by-mail law, which became a focal point of Republican efforts to overturn\u00a0Trump\u2019s loss<\/a>\u00a0to Democrat Joe Biden in the 2020 election. Republican justices dissented.<\/p>\n The justices also rendered verdicts in cases involving abortion rights and public school funding.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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