Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice Christine Donohue speaks at her swearing-in ceremony Jan. 8, 2016, in Pittsburgh. (Keith Srakocic/AP Photo)
The race attracted an unusual amount of attention as state and national groups poured what The Associated Press estimated to be more than $15 million into it, exceeding spending in past retention elections and underscoring the stakes of changing the court majority.
Pennsylvania Supreme Court justices serve 10-year terms and can be retained for consecutive terms until they reach the age of 75, at which point they must retire. Donohue, who is 72, will be unable to serve out another full term.
Republicans’ fight with the judiciary has intensified this year as judges have routinely thwarted President Donald Trump’s agenda. Their defeat in Pennsylvania, a battleground state that has seen high-stakes election litigation in recent years, comes after they suffered a bitter loss in an expensive Supreme Court race in another swing state, Wisconsin, in April.
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A voter uses a ballot drop box at the Bucks County Administration building voting on demand and ballot drop center in Doylestown, Pa., Oct. 31, 2024. (Ed Jones/AFP via Getty Images)
Republicans dedicated their spending and resources to attempting to persuade voters that ousting the justices would be a well-deserved referendum on the Supreme Court’s controversial decisions surrounding COVID-19 lockdowns and election rules. Democrats argued that a loss would threaten women's access to abortion and reproductive health services.
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The state’s highest court rejected Republicans’ attempt to toss out 2.5 million mail-in ballots in the 2020 election but delivered a mixture of smaller wins and losses to the GOP in the 2024 election over mail-in and provisional ballot lawsuits.
In 2020, the state Supreme Court also upheld Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro’s order temporarily shutting down non-essential businesses in the state because of COVID-19.
Ashley Oliver is a reporter for Fox News Digital and FOX Business, covering the Justice Department and legal affairs. Email story tips to ashley.oliver@fox.com.
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