AP Decision Notes: What to expect for the Nov. 4 election in Pennsylvania

CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP, PENNSYLVANIA (AP) — Control of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court hangs in the balance in statewide elections next week, when voters will cast ballots on judges for the state’s three highest courts.

Voters across the commonwealth will also participate in municipal elections, including high-profile races in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.

### Pennsylvania Supreme Court Retention Elections

State Supreme Court Justices Christine Donohue, Kevin Dougherty, and David Wecht—all Democrats—will appear on the Nov. 4 ballot in a retention election. Voters will decide whether to award the sitting jurists new 10-year terms on the high court, although Donohue must retire in 2027 upon reaching Pennsylvania’s mandated retirement age of 75.

While retention elections are often quiet affairs in Pennsylvania, this year’s campaign has been heavily influenced by party politics. Democrats currently hold a 5-2 majority on the state Supreme Court, but Republicans have launched a campaign to oust Donohue, Dougherty, and Wecht.

If voters decide not to retain a justice for another term, Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro could appoint a temporary replacement, subject to confirmation by the Republican-controlled state Senate. A deadlock in the confirmation process could result in a tied court at 2-2 if voters oust all three justices this year. Any vacant seats would be filled in an election for full 10-year terms held in 2027.

The last state Supreme Court retention election was in 2017. At that time, the Republican justice on the ballot was retained with 68% of the vote, while the Democratic justice was retained with 71% of the vote.

### Other Statewide Court Races

Voters will also decide races for other state courts, including the Superior Court and Commonwealth Court, which are the two statewide appellate courts just below the state Supreme Court.

### Pittsburgh Mayoral Race

In Pittsburgh, Democratic Allegheny County Controller Corey O’Connor and Republican Tony Moreno are running to replace outgoing Democratic incumbent Ed Gainey.

O’Connor, a former member of the Pittsburgh City Council and son of the late Mayor Bob O’Connor, defeated Gainey in the May primary. Moreno, a former police officer, was the 2021 Republican mayoral nominee who lost to Gainey in the general election.

### Philadelphia District Attorney Race

In Philadelphia, Democrat Larry Krasner seeks a third term as district attorney against former Philadelphia Municipal Court Judge Pat Dugan. Dugan stepped down midway through his third term in 2024 to challenge Krasner for the Democratic nomination. Krasner defeated Dugan in the May primary, but Dugan switched parties in August to run as a Republican in the general election.

### Voting Trends and Historical Context

Democrats have recently won general elections in both Pittsburgh and Philadelphia by wide margins. In the 2021 Pittsburgh mayoral race, Gainey defeated Moreno with about 71% of the vote. In Philadelphia, Krasner won re-election to a second term in 2021 with approximately 72% of the vote.

### Associated Press Election Coverage Policy

The Associated Press does not make projections and will declare winners only when it is clear there is no scenario for trailing candidates to close the gap.

If a race has not been called, the AP will continue covering any newsworthy developments, such as candidate concessions or declarations of victory. The AP will clearly state when no winner has been declared yet and explain the reasoning.

Pennsylvania requires an automatic recount for statewide races with a vote margin of 0.5 percentage points or less. For non-statewide races, voters may petition individual county election boards or courts for a recount.

The AP may declare a winner in a race eligible for a recount if the lead is too large for a recount or legal challenge to change the outcome.

### Election Day Details: November 4

**When do polls close?**
Polls close at 8 p.m. ET.

**What’s on the ballot?**
The AP will provide vote results and declare winners in retention elections for the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, Superior Court, and Commonwealth Court, as well as the general elections for Superior Court, Commonwealth Court, Pittsburgh mayor, Philadelphia district attorney, and Philadelphia controller.

**Who gets to vote?**
Any Pennsylvania-registered voter may participate in statewide general elections. Voters registered in Philadelphia or Pittsburgh may participate in their respective municipal general elections.

### Voter Registration and Turnout

As of October 6, Pennsylvania had about 3.8 million registered Democrats and 3.6 million registered Republicans.

– In Allegheny County (home to Pittsburgh), Democrats comprise nearly 55% of the 912,000 registered voters; Republicans about 29%.
– In Philadelphia, Democrats make up approximately 72% of the roughly 1.1 million registered voters; Republicans about 12%.

In the 2021 general election for Pittsburgh mayor, nearly 71,000 people voted—about 31% of registered voters—with mail ballots accounting for 35% of votes cast.

Approximately 230,000 people voted in the Philadelphia 2021 municipal general election, or about 22% of registered voters; 32% of the vote came from mail ballots.

About 3.1 million votes were cast in the 2023 state Supreme Court general election, roughly 36% of registered voters at the time, with mail ballots comprising about 26% of total votes.

As of the latest update, more than 524,000 of the 1.1 million absentee ballots requested statewide have been cast—62% from Democrats and 26% from Republicans.

In Pittsburgh, nearly 5,400 pre-Election Day votes had been cast as of October 10, with about 86% from Democrats and 9% from Republicans.

For the latest information, see the [AP Early Vote Tracker](#).

### Vote Counting Timeline

During the 2024 presidential election, the AP first reported Pennsylvania results at 8 p.m. ET from Allegheny County as polls closed, and at 8:08 p.m. ET from Philadelphia. By noon the next day, nearly 97% of the total statewide vote had been tabulated.

In Allegheny County, vote tabulation ended at 12:08 a.m. ET with approximately 97% of votes counted; in Philadelphia, at 1:56 a.m. ET with about 93% counted.

### Looking Ahead

As of November 4, there will be 364 days until the 2026 midterm elections and 1,099 days until the 2028 general election.

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Associated Press writer Marc Levy in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, contributed to this report.

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Follow the AP’s coverage of the 2025 election at [AP News](#).
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