As elections become increasingly expensive and politically polarized, two groups on the left with different missions are joining forces to field their preferred candidates in November’s state Supreme Court election. ing.
The two organizations are the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, the arm of the Democratic Party that fights for state and congressional maps. Planned Parenthood Vote, the political arm of the abortion care organization, will initially target races in Arizona, Michigan, Montana, North Carolina, Ohio and Texas. The fund has a budget of $5 million and will provide digital advertising as well as funding for election campaigns and get-out-the-vote efforts.
“Our purpose is to protect the independence of state supreme courts, consisting of justices dedicated to interpreting the law in a neutral manner, adhering to precedent, and defending the fundamental rights of all citizens. ” Eric H. Holder Jr., former attorney general and chairman of the redistricting group, said in a statement announcing the joint venture.
Until recent years, state supreme court races have traditionally been relatively nonpartisan—in most states, candidates have no formal party affiliation—though judicial decisions have shown partisan trends. I can see it. But political interest in state Supreme Court races has exploded, culminating in a $50 million race for the Wisconsin Supreme Court last year.
Since Donald J. Trump was elected president in 2016, public interest in state government battles has soared. State-level races, including for Governor, Secretary of State and Legislature, are estimated to have over $7 billion in fundraising in 2022. With the Legislature largely gridlocked, heated political and policy battles are primarily playing out at the state level.
Many groups, both Republican and Democratic, plan to spend money on state Supreme Court races this year. The Republican State Leadership Committee spent more than $4.3 million on state Supreme Court races in 2018, but has not announced plans for 2024.
The partnership between redistricting organizations and Planned Parenthood systems was forged over four years, when the U.S. Supreme Court issued a landmark decision overturning both redistricting and abortion access governance.
In 2019, the Supreme Court ruled in Lucho v. Common Cause that federal courts do not have authority to hear challenges to partisan gerrymandering, allowing state courts to combat political tilt in electoral districts. It became the only place.
Then, in 2022, the Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe v. Wade left abortion access up to each state. Since then, state supreme courts have played an increasingly important role in finalizing abortion laws. Just last month, it was the state Supreme Court, not the Arizona Legislature, that reinstated an 1864 law that effectively banned abortion in Arizona. (Republican-led Congress would later repeal that ban.)
“We are fighting to the death to protect and restore fundamental freedoms,” Planned Parenthood Action Fund President Alexis McGill Johnson said in a statement. “And our courts are on the front lines.”
