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You are here: Home / Politics / Political Action / The PA Supreme Court Retention Election Matters!

The PA Supreme Court Retention Election Matters!

by | 40 Comments

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We took a  little  long break in the middle of our Civics Center fundraiser to accommodate my work and home remodeling schedules, but let’s jump back into this very worthy effort.  Can we do that?  I worry that we have left our partners at The Civics Center hanging after they found us a double-match for $15,000 of the $25,000 we are trying to raise.

Since it’s been so long, let’s dust off the cobwebs!

Exciting New Effort, With An Eye Toward the PA Supreme Court Retention Election In November

We are supporting the Civics Center in their effort to educate, motivate and register graduating (and mostly BIPOC) Seniors in urban Pittsburgh High Schools – one part of their nationwide effort to register the yutes in swing states.  PENNSYLVANIA IS A CRITICAL SWING STATE IN 2026 and 2028.  And more immediately, control of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court is at stake:

“State judicial elections typically garner little attention, but Pennsylvania’s 2025 state Supreme Court races are shaping up to be the next major political battleground. Three justices — Christine Donohue, Kevin Dougherty and David Wecht — are seeking to retain their seats on the state’s highest court, but Republican activists are looking to nix them from the court.

If two of the Democrats were to be unseated, Republicans would then gain a majority on the state’s highest court. Scott Presler, a Republican voter registration activist known for his grassroots efforts during the 2024 presidential election, is campaigning to get voters who have galvanized behind President Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement to vote against retaining the three Democratic justices, citing their past rulings on pandemic “lockdowns” and voting laws.”

Pa. GOP seeks to gain control of state’s highest court, where final decisions are made on voting and abortion

Although some (mostly white) youths were Trump-curious in 2024, it looks like the kids are alright.

Recent polls show that Gen Z voters (age 18-29) are souring on the Trump Administration:

“Once seen as a wild card with surprising appeal among disillusioned young voters, President Donald Trump is now facing a sharp decline in support from Generation Z, according to new polling.

Newsweek analyzed the latest results from major pollsters since early March that included age-specific approval ratings and found that Trump’s standing among the youngest voters is currently at 37 percent approving, while 58 percent disapprove of his job performance.

That signals that Trump’s support among Generation Z voters has tailed off since the 2024 election, when 47 percent of voters aged 18-29 cast a ballot for him, up from 36 percent in 2020.”

THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY!  The Civic Center is smack in the middle of their on-campus High School voter education, registration and motivation drive – “Cap, Gown & Ballot” on several metropolitan area campuses in mostly swing states.  We’re helping them register and inspire students in nine urban Pittsburgh High Schools this month in advance of the Fall Pennsylvania Supreme Court retention race and next year’s midterms.

I can think of no more cost-effective way to register and engage our voters than reaching them on campus.  No canvassing, no door-knocking, no texts, no postcards – just direct access to potential voters.  Possibly our best bang for the voter registration buck.

Remember, the Civics Center has a double match for us

  • so every donation on BJ is a 4x match.
  • if there’s a Balloon Juice Angel, it becomes a 6x match.

Out-raise them.  Out-organize them.  Out-strategize them.


THEN we can OUT-VOTE them.

Update:  And we have an angel match from Wapiti!   $1,000 – up to $100 per person.

To be Angel-matched, please tell us about your donation in the comments or by email to me.

Thank you so much to our BJ Angel.

Reader Interactions

40Comments

  1. 1.

    WaterGirl

    Weird.  Either the developers changes something or BlueSky changed something, because suddenly the thermometer no longer shows up on the site.  Just a link, which isn’t helpful at all

    We are currently at just over $10,000 in the thermometer.

    I swear I saw the actual thermometer as recently as yesterday.

    Today I can’t see the thermometer on my Mac in either Safari or Chrome, and I can’t see it on my iPhone in Safari, either.  If anyone can see the actual thermometer on a device, please let me know what device and what browser.   thanks!

  2. 2.

    WaterGirl

    The external matches match dollar for dollar that goes into the thermometer.

    Since we don’t have a Balloon Juice Angel right now, there’s no need to tell us about your donation in order to be matched – unless you want to help inspire other people. :-)

    edit: We have an angel match! See details at comment #11.

  4. 4.

    Maxim

    The thermometer shows up when I’m on the main page, but not when I click through to the individual post. I’m on an iPad Pro.

    Edit: I went back out to the main page and the thermometer no longer appears there, either.

  5. 5.

    RaflW

    No thermometer on my Mac running chrome. But I tested the link and they gladly took my money :)

  7. 7.

    Yutsano

    Speaking of Supreme Courts, the federal one just tied on creating a religious charter school funded by the state. Barrett recused since it involved a Catholic school, but no telling what happens when this comes up against a Protestant school.

  8. 8.

    KayInMD (formerly Kay (not the front-pager))

    No thermometer on my Microsoft tablet running Chrome, but thanks for the reminder to donate. These local races, & especially registration drives, especially especially drives to register the youngs, are so important!

    Done and done.

  9. 9.

    Fake Irishman

    Blocking and tackling. Simple stuff like this preps for the political ground game. (Florida political consultant Steve Schlage hits on this constantly).

     

    Thanks for keeping our eye on the light in these dark times, Watergirl.

  10. 10.

    H.E.Wolf

    Thank you for this opportunity to fund a group that is registering high school students. “Cap, Gown, and Ballot” indeed!

    Thanks also for this throwback to gathering ’round the railroad telegraph office to learn the latest news… in this case, daily(?) bulletins on the height of the $ thermometer.

    (Presumably the thermometer will return.)

  11. 11.

    WaterGirl

    And we now have an angel match from Wapiti!  

    $1,000 – up to $100 per person

    To be Angel-matched, please tell us about your donation in the comments or by email to me.

    Thank you so much to our BJ Angel!

  13. 13.

    Jackie

    @Yutsano:

    Speaking of Supreme Courts, the federal one just tied on creating a religious charter school funded by the state.

    A tie equals a win for keeping religion out of public/charter schools paid for by our taxes.

    Barrett’s recusal is gonna have MAGA seeing RED! And, that makes me happy! :-D

  17. 17.

    Timill

    @WaterGirl: No thermometer here (Chrome on PC).

    But if I open a previously saved page, I get a grey rectangle where it should be. This is different from the live page.

  18. 18.

    WaterGirl

    @HinTN:  it’s a beautiful, serene photo, and I thought you would like it because he holds a special place in your heart.

  20. 20.

    WaterGirl

    @Timill: That would make some sense if I’m correct in thinking that ActBlue changed the script that shows the thermometer, and all the previous pages would have the older script.

    Except that I copied the whole new script in for this page and it still doesn’t show up. But it doesn’t show up in a different way!

  23. 23.

    ChrisSherbak

    $25 – but I always miss these. Still a good cause. Reposting to my FB for my chums in Pitt and Philly.

  26. 26.

    Mercy

    In for $50. I have been feeling downright sour about donations lately – I am really tired of deleting the latest text solicitations – but I am always up for a Balloon Juice drive. Thanks for organizing, WG!

  27. 27.

    WaterGirl

    @Mercy: Thank you!

    Bonus – when you donate to an organization through the BJ thermometer, your contact info is not shared unless you click the box to do so!

  30. 30.

    Joy in FL

    I just donated $20 to the thermometer.

    Thanks, Angels : )

    Also I called my MAGA Senators to say not to vote for the horrible, cruel, debt-increasing budget.

  32. 32.

    Paul W.

    I’ll do 25 for now, but also for the next cycle everyone should consider this site that looks at investing in marginal races (something I know we all care about) in addition to the stuff that is highlighted here by WG!

     

    app.oath.vote/

  35. 35.

    Josie

    @Mercy: ​ I’m with you Mercy. I’d like to know where these people I never heard of are getting my phone number.​
     ETA: In for $25.00

Comments are closed.