Particle.news
Download on the App Store
36 ARTICLES
·
4h ago

Pennsylvania Retains Three Supreme Court Justices, Keeping Democratic 5–2 Majority

The outcome averts a potential 2-2 stalemate that could have stalled statewide precedent on election rules, redistricting and reproductive-rights cases.

FILE - Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice Kevin Dougherty speaks at his swearing in ceremony at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Jan. 5, 2016.
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)
The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania chambers.
Image

Overview

  • Voters approved retaining Justices Christine Donohue, Kevin Dougherty and David Wecht, preserving control of the seven-member high court.
  • Had all three lost and interim appointments stalled in the GOP-led Senate, the bench could have been reduced to 2-2 through 2027, limiting the court’s ability to set precedent.
  • The retention fights drew unusual money and attention, with Democrats and allies airing about $13 million in TV ads since Oct. 1 and overall spending projected above $15 million as figures like President Donald Trump and Gov. Josh Shapiro weighed in.
  • The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has recently ruled on mail voting, congressional maps and abortion access, and it could again decide election-law disputes ahead of the 2026 midterms.
  • Dougherty and Wecht received new 10-year terms, while Donohue will serve until mandatory retirement in 2027, in a process where removals are historically rare.