Fight over Pa. Supreme Court emerges as latest costly battle over abortion, election law

Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court retention elections are approaching historic levels of spending and attention, as the typically under-the-radar process has become the latest front in a national battle for control of the courts making decisions on the most high-stakes issues of the era.

Democratic Justices Christine Donohue, Kevin Dougherty and David Wecht face “yes” or “no” votes on their retention for another 10-year term on Nov. 4. Democrats currently hold a 5-2 majority on the state’s highest court, which has made critical decisions on reproductive health care, as well as mail-in ballots and other election laws in recent years.

Ahead of 2026 midterm elections and a 2028 presidential contest that could include Gov. Josh Shapiro as a Democratic contender, this year’s retention elections have drawn investment from major progressive groups and a conservative advocacy network tied to the state’s richest resident and longtime Republican megadonor, Jeffrey Yass.

Several experts told the Post-Gazette that the attention to the elections is unprecedented, even in a swing state where the Supreme Court elections in 2015 generated almost $30 million in spending as Republicans and Democrats battled to fill three vacancies on the bench.


https://www.post-gazette.com/news/election-2025/2025/10/12/pennsylvania-supreme-court-abortion-election/stories/202510090096