

While Democrats redrew the map in 2021 to remedy decades of malapportionment, the two districts that will decide the majority still lean to the right of the state as a whole, which Joe Biden carried 57-40. Those two races are partisan contests because they don't feature a previously elected incumbent (two other retention elections will also take place). Illinois (4-3 Democratic) : Republicans could gain a majority on Illinois' top court if they hold one key seat and flip another held by Democrats.

Many of these elections are nonpartisan, but a handful of states feature partisan elections, an approach that invariably leads to the most hotly contested and fiercely polarized races. Other states, though, hold more typical head-to-head elections between two or more candidates. Many are appointed to the bench and later face "retention" elections in which voters are presented with a simple yes or no choice on keeping the incumbent in office, a system that overwhelmingly sees justices hold onto their seats. Note that election methods for state supreme court justices vary widely. Should Republicans prevail, congressional redistricting could become even more unfairly tilted toward the GOP nationwide than it already is, while Democratic wins would help preserve the status quo. Now they'll be called on to do the same to preserve and even restore the right to an abortion.Īs both Daily Kos Elections and Bolts Magazine's Daniel Nichanian have previously noted, the most competitive and far-reaching elections are taking place in four large states where either partisan control over the court, the fate of partisan gerrymandering, or both are at stake: Illinois, Michigan, North Carolina, and Ohio.
#Fixing continuity calculus free
In the wake of recent Supreme Court rulings that have severely weakened the Voting Rights Act and barred federal courts from policing gerrymandering, some of these state courts have already stepped in to play a crucial role in protecting the right to vote in free and fair elections. Wade has brought new attention to the fight for abortion rights at the state level, and elections for state supreme courts will be one of the most consequential battlegrounds. Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v.
