Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice David Wecht announced this week that he is leaving the Democratic Party and registering as an unaffiliated voter. The announcement, which was issued in his personal capacity and not on behalf of the court, cited the party’s handling of antisemitism as the reason for his decision.
“From 1998 to 2001, years that preceded my judicial career, I served as Vice-Chair of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party. In the quarter century that has passed since then, the Democratic Party has changed. Nazi tattoos, jihadist chants, intimidation and attacks at synagogues, and other hateful anti-Jewish invective and actions are minimized, ignored, and even coddled,” Wecht wrote in his statement.
“Acquiescence to Jew-hatred is now disturbingly common among activists, leaders and even many elected officials in the Democratic Party. I can no longer abide this. So, I won’t. I am no longer registered within any political party.”
The justice went on to state that his decision will not impact his career on the Supreme Court. “My jurisprudence and adjudication have always been independent, and they always will be. Now, my voting registration reflects that independence as well,” Wecht continued.
The statement also noted the 2018 Tree of Life synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh, where Wecht had married in 1998 and later served on the board of trustees. It described the attack as originating from the political right but stated that similar hatred “has grown on the left” and “moved from the fringe to the mainstream.”
Wecht concluded that it is “the duty of all good people to fight this virus, and to do so before it is too late.”
Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice David Wecht says he left the Democratic Party, arguing “Jew-hatred” has become “disturbingly common” within it. pic.twitter.com/bg0PW8TsjG
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Wecht’s ties to the Democratic Party date back more than 25 years. He previously served as vice chair of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party from 1998 to 2001, prior to the start his judicial career.
He was elected to the Supreme Court in 2015 as a Democrat and won retention in November 2025 for a second 10-year term, which runs through December 31, 2035. His father, the late Cyril Wecht, was a prominent Democratic Party figure in Allegheny County and served as county coroner.
Going forward, Wecht will continue to serve as a justice on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. “I am confined to a judicial role, and in that role, I maintain independence at all times and in all respects,” he said.
Pennsylvania elects supreme court justices on partisan ballots, but once on the bench they function independently of party affiliation. Wecht indicated he will remain in his position through the end of his term and decide cases based on the law.
The decision does affect the partisan balance of the seven-member panel, however. Prior to the announcement, the court held a 5-2 Democrat majority, with Justices Christine Donohue, Kevin Dougherty, Daniel D. McCaffery, Debra Todd (chief justice), and Wecht having been elected as Democrats, and Justices Kevin Brobson and Sallie Updyke Mundy elected as Republicans.
