Christine Donohue
Democrat | Pennsylvania
Candidate Profile
EvaluationInProgress
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Christine Donohue
Party
Democrat
Election Year
2025
Election
PA General School Boards, Judicial & Municipal Races
Race
Supreme Court (retention of Donohue)
Incumbent
Yes
Links
EDUCATION
Candidate did not provide
WORK & MILITARY
Candidate did not provide
AFFILIATIONS
Candidate did not provide
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
Candidate did not provide
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
Candidate did not provide
ENDORSEMENTS
LIBERAL (2)
Emily's List; Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania
OTHER (2)
Pennsylvania State Fraternal Order of Police FOP; Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals PASNAP
SELECTED CONTRIBUTIONS
LIBERAL
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (10)
LGBTQ Groups (2025); Local, County, and District Democratic Organizations (2025); American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (2015); Democrat Women Organizations (2015); PAC 1742 (2015)
RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (26)
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (2025); American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (2015); American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees (2015); American Federation of Teachers (2015); Association of Pennsylvania State College & University Faculty (2015)
OTHER INFORMATION
Christine Donohue has been rated as Proven Activist by iVoterGuide in 2025.
Justice Donohue wrote, “the Pennsylvania Constitution secures the fundamental right to reproductive autonomy.” And that “includes a right to decide whether to have an abortion or to carry a pregnancy to term.” (berksdems.org)
In Allegheny Reprod. Health v. PA DHS (2024), Justice Donohue authored the majority opinion, holding that Pennsylvania's Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) and Constitution protect a right to abortion, that excluding abortion from coverage was sex-based discrimination, and that strict scrutiny must be applied to such exclusion, leading the Court to overrule prior case, Fischer, and remand this case for further review.
For a more detailed summary, see case summary.
In Int. of K.T. (2023), Justice Donohue joined the majority opinion which said the lower courts used the wrong standard when deciding to end a mother’s parental rights and remanded (sent back) the case back to for reconsideration by the lower court.
For a more detailed summary, see case summary
In Pennsylvania v. Barr (2021), Justice Donohue joined the majority holding that under Pennsylvania's Medicaid Act, the smell of marijuana alone cannot justify a warrantless vehicle search.
For a more detailed summary, see case summary.
In Pennsylvania Democratic Party v. Boockvar (2020). the majority considered statewide mail-in voting rules for 2020 election. The majority held that drop boxes and satellite offices were allowed, ballots could be counted if recieved three days late because of COVID-19, ballots without a secrecy envelope could be rejected, and poll watchers had to live in the county. Justice Donohue joined the majority on all issues, except regarding the three-day extension, saying it went beyond the legislature's intent.
For a more detailed summary, see case summary.
In Commonwealth v. Alexander (2020), Philadelphia police searched the defendant's car without a warrant after smelling marijuana and found heroin. Justice Donohue authored the majority, which overruled Commonwealth v. Gary and said that under the Pennsylvania Constitution, warrantless vehicle searches require probable cause and exigent circumstances (urgent reason), giving stronger privacy protection than the federal standard for warrantless vehicles searches.
For more details, see case summary.
