Pennsylvania Supreme Court would be left short-handed if retention effort fails

For all the political debate about whether or not to retain state Supreme Court justices Christine Donohue, Kevin Dougherty or David Wecht this fall, one question rarely gets discussed: If voters decide to send them home on Nov. 4 … what happens next?

For Chip Becker, an appellate lawyer who vice-chairs the state Supreme Court Commission on Judicial Independence, the answer could be “disarray.”

Multiple long-term vacancies on the seven-member court would be a “significant blow to the efficiency and speed at which the court could function,” Becker said.

Pennsylvania’s constitution lays out a clear procedure for filling a Supreme Court vacancy. If the justices close out their term at the end of the year, the governor can nominate an interim replacement until the next municipal election, which would be in 2027. But the Senate must confirm that nomination by a two-thirds majority.


https://www.wesa.fm/politics-government/2025-10-20/pa-supreme-court-wecht-retention