New Report Highlights Growing National Focus on State Supreme Courts
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Zack Ford, Press Secretary
(202) 464-7370 / zack.ford@afjac.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WASHINGTON, D.C., April 10, 2024 – State supreme courts have always played a huge role in determining our rights and freedoms, but in the wake of massive U.S. Supreme Court decisions sending issues like reproductive freedom and access to democracy back to states, their role is in the national spotlight more than ever. A new report from the Alliance for Justice Action Campaign highlights the increasing focus on state court elections and some of the major cases these courts are handling.
“State of Justice 2024: State Supreme Courts and the Future of Democracy” examines Wisconsin and Pennsylvania’s state supreme court elections in 2023, the first and second most expensive state court races in U.S. history. It also highlights several of the significant appointments and 30 notable major decisions that defined 2023 for state courts.
The report also outlines the 2024 state supreme court elections, which include 82 races in 33 states, several of which could shift the balance of those state courts, and seven more expected vacancies in six other states. The report also previews 2025, in which there are expected to be elections for four seats in two states and four vacancies in three other states.
Alliance for Justice Action Campaign President Rakim H.D. Brooks issued the following statement:
“For too long, state courts have not received the attention they deserve, even within the states they serve. As we saw in 2023’s elections, however, races for seats on these courts are becoming significant political battlegrounds as state courts tackle vital issues core to the future of our democracy. This new report, a hallmark of our state courts advocacy, speaks to the major role state courts are playing in shaping our lives and the role we must play in monitoring who sits on these courts and what actions they take. We hope reports like this make it easier for voters to learn about their own courts and how they can get involved in this year’s many races.”
