Overview
- Justices Christine Donohue, Kevin Dougherty and David Wecht, all elected as Democrats, face yes/no retention votes for new 10‑year terms, with results expected after polls close at 8 p.m. ET.
- The court currently holds a 5–2 Democratic edge, and a failure to retain combined with stalled confirmations could yield a 2–2 deadlock that curbs new statewide precedent, which Justice David Wecht warned would be “disastrous.”
- President Donald Trump urged voters to reject the justices, while Gov. Josh Shapiro urged support, highlighting a nationalized fight over past rulings on maps, mail ballots and other hot‑button issues.
- Spending on the retention effort is projected above $15 million and has drawn unusual national attention, even though defeats in Pennsylvania judicial retention races have been rare since 1968.
- If any justice is rejected, the governor may name interim replacements subject to two‑thirds confirmation in the Republican‑controlled Senate, and any vacancies would go to voters for full terms in 2027.