Pike County Backs Justices in Retention Vote, Preserving Democratic Court Majority

Pike County voters approved all five justices up for retention on the 2025 ballot, with victory margins ranging from 4-7 percentage points, contributing to a statewide result that preserved the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s 5-2 Democratic majority.

The retention votes drew unprecedented attention and spending this year, with over $15 million invested statewide, making it the second most expensive retention election in U.S. history. Republicans, including President Trump, actively campaigned against the three Supreme Court justices, urging voters to reject them. The justices were ultimately retained statewide with approximately 60-65% of the vote.

In Pike County, where Republicans hold a registration advantage of 48.97% compared to Democrats at 28.87%, the “YES” votes for all five justices represented notable turnout in a race that became highly politicized at the state level.

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has decided major cases in recent years involving voting rights, redistricting, and mail-in voting. Had all three Supreme Court justices failed retention, the court would have been deadlocked 2-2 through 2027, potentially affecting decisions through the 2026 and 2028 elections.

In the statewide judicial races for open seats, Democrat Brandon Neuman won election to Superior Court and Democrat Stella Tsai won election to Commonwealth Court. While these judges did not carry Pike County, their margins of 7% and 5% respectively were narrower than typical statewide race outcomes in the Republican-leaning county.