Dear John, 

 

Last week, democracy took a real punch to the gut — and we’re not talking only about election results in Virginia or New Jersey, as bad as those outcomes were. We’re talking about Pennsylvania. 

 

Rather than building a stronger pro-democracy PA Supreme Court, Judge Kevin Brobson became that court’s newest justice. This is the same judge that greenlit partisan conservative gerrymandered maps that the state supreme court then overturned. A year ago, it was only a narrow majority that prevented Pennsylvania from illegally rejecting mail-in ballots that arrived after Election Day. Will we be able to count on the Court to uphold democracy reforms, including fair redistricting, and to strike down voter suppression laws? 

 

Last week’s results make answering that question that much harder.

 

If you’re looking for ways to respond to last week’s devastation, please consider donating to the Alliance for Justice Action Campaign. We’re committed to ensuring that state supreme court judges share your values and protect access to justice and equality before the law. But we can only achieve that with your support.

We believe that there is an urgent need for all citizens to pay attention to what happens on their state’s highest court — big monied interests certainly are. VA’s results likely will result in an even more conservative state judiciary deciding important matters like redistricting and voting rights — New Jersey only narrowly escaped a similar fate. We’re committed to providing vital information about whether judges are appointed or elected, and importantly when the elections are taking place. An informed citizenry is an empowered citizenry. And we need to be empowered.

 

I’m sorry about what happened last week. It never feels good to see our democracy set back and on its heels. We’re not done though. Next year voters in Pennsylvania and 32 more states will elect state supreme court justices. It’s time to push forward or risk tumbling backward. 

 

Rakim H.D. Brooks

President

Alliance for Justice and AFJ Action Campaign
[email protected]

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