Overview

• Pennsylvania voters will decide in November whether to retain Justices Kevin Dougherty, Christine Donohue and David Wecht in yes‑or‑no votes with no opponents.
• If two of the three are rejected, Democrats could lose their 5–2 edge on the court, setting up a 2027 contest that could determine control before the next presidential race and future redistricting.
• Gov. Josh Shapiro appears in a new pro‑retention ad that highlights the justices’ records on abortion access and other rights.
• If any justice is not retained, the governor can name an interim replacement who would require a two‑thirds vote in the Republican‑controlled state Senate.
• Opposition efforts funded by GOP‑aligned groups tied to Jeff Yass have drawn criticism as misleading by newsrooms and advocates, while analysts note only one Pennsylvania judge has lost a retention vote in the past two decades.