Democrats are “preparing to pour millions of dollars” into framing the upcoming Pennsylvania Supreme Court election around abortion.
A seat on the state Supreme Court is in play this November, and pro-abortion Democrat and current Superior Court judge Dan McCaffery is going up against moderate Republican and president judge of the Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas Carolyn Carluccio.
“The major showdown over a state Supreme Court seat signals that these once little-noticed elections have become expensive, high-stakes affairs after the fall of Roe v. Wade last year,” Politico reported on Sunday.
According to Politico, a pro-Democrat super PAC is moving to “make abortion the centerpiece of the campaign,” and abortion giant Planned Parenthood is already getting involved in the race. Democrats in the state are reportedly hoping Pennsylvania will be a repeat of this year’s Wisconsin Supreme Court election, in which a pro-abortion liberal judge won after they made abortion central to the race.
“Both parties will be watching the state Supreme Court race in Pennsylvania as a bellwether in a key battleground state ahead of the 2024 presidential election. For Democrats, the outcome will offer clues about whether voters are still mobilized by abortion more than a year after Roe v. Wade was struck down — and if the party can keep outrunning President Joe Biden’s low approval ratings,” according to the report. “For Republicans, it will demonstrate whether they can finally crack the code on how to navigate the post-Roe world.”
Democrats’ 4-2 control of the seven-seat state Supreme Court is not at stake this year. However, Democrats are contending the election will “help set the stage for upcoming races that could tip the balance of power” because three Democrats on the court are up for retention in 2025, the report states.
Both GOP and Democrat operatives said they believe the race will likely be one of the most expensive Pennsylvania Supreme Court elections in the state’s history. J.J. Abbott, a Pennsylvania-based Democrat strategist with ties to pro-abortion groups told the outlet the race could run between $20 million to $25 million.
“There’s really significant repercussions nationally in terms of access to reproductive care if Pennsylvania were to limit it,” Abbott said.
GOP operatives and officials told the outlet they expected Democrats to make the election about abortion, although they argue abortion is not on the ballot this year because it is legal in the state, and Democrats currently control the governorship and the state House.
“There is not going to be any abortion bill coming out of Harrisburg anytime soon,” said Josh Novotney, a GOP consultant in Pennsylvania. “This is a diversionary tactic to not talk about the real issues, including schools and jobs.”
