PA Supreme Court Retention

While Pennsylvanians focus on township, school board, and other local races this November, the most consequential election on our ballot may be one many don’t even know about: the retention of three Pennsylvania Supreme Court justices.  This quiet election could determine whether our commonwealth continues to be a place we want to call home, or whether it becomes a place we no longer recognize.

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UPDATE: We’ve written extensively about this situation, including the half-truths with which Pennsylvanians are being assaulted on TV and via mailers. Please see the “Read More” section below for these articles.

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What’s At Stake

This election will decide the future for Pennsylvania for at least the next decade.  Three justices—Christine Donohue, Kevin Dougherty, and David Wecht—face simple yes or no retention votes on November 4.  Victory for all three keeps Pennsylvania from tilting towards a future of a partisan judicial system beholden to dark money and out-of-state party bosses.

The integrity of these justices is not in question.

Extremists are mounting an unprecedented campaign to defeat these justices.  Billionaires like Jeff Yass and conservative megadonors are pouring money into Pennsylvania and this election, following the model from Wisconsin’s recent Supreme Court race that saw $100 million in spending.

The Justices Aren’t the Issue

The integrity and qualifications of these justices aren’t in question.  The nonpartisan Pennsylvania Bar Association has recommended all three for retention[i], and former ACLU voting rights counsel Marian Schneider notes that while she hasn’t always agreed with their decisions, she sees no evidence of partisan influence in their rulings[ii].

The issue is that extremists want to control the Pennsylvania judiciary the way they control it in other states.  To do that, conservative activists have deployed an alarming number of paid workers across Pennsylvania encouraging no votes.  These activists are not targeting the justices’ actual performance or qualifications.  Instead, they’re appealing to their base on made up issues, false statements, and twisted logic. 

Vote “YES” to retain three justices who have spent their careers choosing justice over politics

Due to judicial conduct rules, the justices can’t campaign extensively, making it difficult to defend their records.  The extremists know this and are counting on it.  They think they are free to say whatever they need to so that they win, and no one will call them out on their lies.  We need to let them know that this is not how Pennsylvania operates.

How to Win

It’s simple:

  1. Show up at your polling place on November 4th
  2. Vote YES on all three retention questions for PA Supreme Court justices
    1. These questions may be on the back of your ballot, so make sure to turn it over!
  3. Encourage friends and family to follow your lead

Too often, retention elections see massive drop-off because voters don’t know about them, or don’t think they are important.  That’s exactly what the extremists want—while you focus on other races, they quietly steal control of the state’s highest court. 

Read More About the 2025 Judicial Retention Election

[i] https://buckscountybeacon.com/2025/09/how-pennsylvania-judges-facing-retention-ruled-on-key-election-cases

[ii] https://www.spotlightpa.org/news/2025/09/judicial-retention-candidates-election-cases-2025-republican-court-flip-elections