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Three Pennsylvania Supreme Court justices – all Democrats – are up for judicial retention in Tuesday's general election. The outcome could have ramifications for the composition of the seven-member court, which currently has a 5-2 Democratic majority. Polls close at 8 p.m. All results in the chart below are unofficial until confirmed by election officials. Justices Kevin Dougherty, Christine Donohue and David Wecht are all up for retention as they near the end of their 10-year terms on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. The three Democrats soundly outperformed their GOP opponents in 2015, capturing a majority on the court after Republicans had held the advantage for more than a decade. This chart may not display correctly for some mobile users. If you're having trouble, please visit the full version of this page. Pennsylvania Supreme Court retention election results On Tuesday's ballot, Pennsylvania voters will see "yes" or "no" options next to the names of the three justices, who do not face other candidates when up for retention. Those who are retained serve another 10-year term or remain on the court until they reach the state's age limit of 75. When a justice is not retained, the court has a vacancy that can be filled with an appointment by the governor – which requires Senate approval – before an open race in the next election cycle. Dougherty spent 14 years on the Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas in Philadelphia, specializing in family law cases, before his election to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. Donohue was a trial lawyer in Allegheny County for decades and served as state Superior Court judge before reaching the Supreme Court. Wecht similarly served as a Superior Court judge, also with a background in family law, before he was elected to the Supreme Court. Pennsylvania's top appellate court rules on a wide range of significant issues that include political redistricting, reproductive rights, education law and civil rights. This year's election marks a rare instance when three seats are up for retention at the same time, although it is historically uncommon for Pennsylvania Supreme Court justices not to be retained. The last time a justice in Pennsylvania lost a retention bid was in 2005, when Philadelphia-based Justice Russell Nigro, a Democrat, was voted off the court by a 51%-49% margin. Justice Sandra Schultz Newman, a Republican from Philadelphia, narrowly retained her seat that year with 54% of the vote. If all three justices are voted down, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court likely would be left shorthanded until 2027. Pennsylvania's Republican-controlled Senate would hold the power to thwart Interim appointments from Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro in hopes of holding out for the GOP to earn seats on the court in open contests next year. The loss of just one justice also could result in a deadlocked court for the foreseeable future. Spending on this year's retention elections is expected to surpass $15 million, setting a record for nonpartisan judicial races that are usually quieter when fewer justices are on the ballot. The national Democratic and Republican parties both have poured millions of dollars into this year's retention elections in a battle over the makeup of the court in one of the nation's perennial battleground states.
