The United States Supreme Court is lawless, unhinged, and out of control. Led by an ill-gotten far-right supermajority, our highest court has issued an increasingly berserk series of decisions aimed at undermining American democracy, culminating with its declaration just two weeks ago that Donald Trump ought to be no more accountable under the law than a medieval despot.
Repairing this calamitous state of affairs requires immediate action on many fronts. One that's all too often overlooked, however, is the role that state supreme courts play in shaping our future—and progressives have a huge opportunity to influence their direction.
That's why we're shining a spotlight on half a dozen crucial races for a trio of critical state supreme courts that are all holding elections this fall. Daily Kos is proud to endorse six Democratic candidates who are committed to upholding the rule of law and protecting the rights of all Americans:
Please donate $5 to each of these exceptional jurists to keep extremist Republicans off the bench!
We'll start with Michigan, which offers a brilliant success story. Democrats there finally ended a long era of Republican control over the state's top court in 2020 when they won a GOP-held seat—a victory Daily Kos was thrilled to play a part in. Since then, the Supreme Court has issued rulings that have supported abortion rights, voting rights, the rights of LGBTQ+ people, and more.
But that progress could soon come to a halt. Democrats hold a slim 4-3 majority, meaning the GOP could take charge once again if they were to defeat Bolden and hold an open seat currently occupied by a Republican. The good news, though, is that we can expand our majority if we defend Bolden's seat and elect Thomas—and that's exactly what we aim to do.
The other two states, unfortunately, have recently headed in the opposite direction. In North Carolina, Republicans flipped the state Supreme Court in 2022, taking a 5-2 edge. They immediately took a hacksaw to rulings issued in some cases just months earlier by the court's previous Democratic majority, most notoriously overturning a historic decision concluding that partisan gerrymandering violated state law.
Republican lawmakers immediately set to work drawing grotesquely skewed maps, pushing three Democrats in the U.S. House to either retire or seek another office—and that's just the tip of the iceberg. Democrats are now embarking on a multiyear plan to restore democracy in this perennial swing state, and it starts with ensuring Riggs wins a full term in November.
In Ohio, however, positive change could come much sooner. After the state Supreme Court issued a series of rulings striking down GOP gerrymanders, Republicans in 2022 won a hard-line majority that's shown no interest in fair maps.
But that majority stands at just 4-3—and Democrats could reverse it with a sweep this year. We can do that by ensuring Donnelly and Stewart win reelection and by helping Forbes flip a Republican seat. Yes, Ohio is a redder state, but you'll recall that last year, voters approved an amendment to restore abortion rights by a double-digit landslide—and that very same issue will be front and center in the battle for the court.
Of course, Republicans won't stand pat. To the contrary: They're drunk with power, and they want to stack the benches nationwide with as many extremist foot soldiers as they can muster to further tighten their stranglehold. They're going to flood the airwaves with all the filthy lies their dark money can buy.
That's why it's up to us to fight back, and for grassroots progressives, there's no better bang for your buck. The total spending for a high-profile race for the U.S. Senate can clock in at well over $100 million these days. The budget for a typical state Supreme Court candidate, by contrast, is often around $1 million.
You already know the stakes are extremely high. We badly need to strike a blow for justice and democracy. This is how we do it.
Give $5 apiece now to each of these six Daily Kos-endorsed candidates for state supreme court, and help roll back the conservative takeover of our judiciary!
