Pennsylvania retention races draw $7M amid abortion, redistricting

Pennsylvania’s retention votes for Supreme Court Justices Christine Donohue, Kevin Dougherty and David Wecht are scheduled for Nov. 4 and have drawn roughly $7 million in spending as of Sept. 15. State and national groups are lining up on both sides — pro-retention backers include the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee and Pennsylvanians for Judicial Fairness, while anti-retention spending has come from conservative Commonwealth Partners (linked to billionaire Jeff Yass) and national Republican groups. The ACLU plans a $500,000 mail campaign, and at least one Republican group has spent about $85,000 on “no” ads. Supporters say retaining the justices will protect abortion access and rulings on mail ballots and redistricting, while opponents warn rejecting them could trigger contested partisan elections in 2027 and remake the court; the Pennsylvania Bar Association has recommended all three for retention. Separately, the U.S. Supreme Court is weighing election-law cases including Louisiana v. Callais, which could narrow or overturn Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act and, if issued broadly and early, allow Republican-led states to redraw majority-Black districts with major implications for the 2026 midterms.