David Wecht
Democrat | Pennsylvania
Candidate Profile
Activist
BIOGRAPHY
Name
David Wecht
Party
Democrat
Election Year
2025
Election
PA General School Boards, Judicial & Municipal Races
Race
Supreme Court (retention of Wecht)
Incumbent
Yes
Links
EDUCATION
Yale University, New Haven, CT, B.A., 1984
The Yale Law School, New Haven, CT, J.D., 1987
WORK & MILITARY
U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, Law Clerk (Hon. George MacKinnon), 1987-1988
AFFILIATIONS
Parent Education & Advocacy Leadership (PEAL), Board of Directors (2013 - Present), The Pennsylvania Society
Member (2013 - Present), The American Law Institute, Member (2013 - Present)
Duquesne University School of Law, Adjunct Professor (1997 - Present), University of Pittsburgh (GSPIA)
Adjunct Professor (2010 - Present), Allegheny Co. Bar Association, Member / Volunteer / Panelist (1993 - Present)
American Bar Association, Member, The Amen Corner
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
Judge of the Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 2012 - Present
Judge of the Court of Common of Pleas (5th Distr.), 2003 - 2011
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
Judge of the Superior Court, 2003
ENDORSEMENTS
LIBERAL (1)
Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania
OTHER (1)
1000 Women Strong PAC
SELECTED CONTRIBUTIONS
CONSERVATIVE
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (0)
RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (1)
Northwest Good Government PAC (2015)
LIBERAL
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (4)
Local, County, and District Democratic Organizations (2015)
PA Future PAC (2015)
State Democratic Party Organizations (2015)
Young Democrats of America (2011)
RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (41)
United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (2016)
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
In Majoritarianism Run Riot: Christian Supremacism and the Religion Clauses ,Wecht warns that recent Supreme Court rulings undermine the Establishment Clause, elevate Christian majoritorianism, and threaten religious pluralism in the U.S.
Article, Tablet Magazine: Justice Wecht discusses antisemitism calling it a "national crisis" and urges action through education and free speech.
Article In the Jewish Chronicle on Justice Wecht calling for activism against antisemitism.
In Allegheny Reproductive Health v. Pennsylvania DHS (2024), Justice Wecht agreed that leaving abortions out of Medicaid coverage was unconstitutional and is always sex-based discrimination. He suggested the Court look at other parts of the constitution to help protect abortion rights in the future.
For more details, see case summary. Justice Wecht's concurring opinion.
In Pennsylvania v. Barr (2021), Justice Wecht joined the majority holding that under Pennsylvania's Medicaid Act, the smell of marijuana alone cannot justify a warrantless vehicle search.
For more details, see case summary.
In Pennsylvania Democratic Party v. Boockvar (2020), the Court considered statewide mail-in voting rules for the 2020 election. Justice Wecht joined the which held that drop boxes and satellite offices were allowed, ballots could be counted if received 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 Wecht wrote separately, saying the law should be clearer so the court can follow it exactly.
For more details, 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 Wecht joined 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.
QUESTIONNAIRE
RIGHT TO LIFE
Was Dobbs v. Jackson rightly decided according to the text of the Constitution? Please explain.
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I support a right to accelerate ending a human life.
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Human life deserves legal protection from conception until natural death.
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RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
Religious liberty is at risk in the United States.
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2ND AMENDMENT
The right to bear arms is fundamental and must be protected.
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OTHER IMPORTANT ISSUES
Which branch of government do you believe was intended to wield the most authority?
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How should the court address public health and individual freedoms in the time of a public health emergency?
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JUDICIAL PHILOSOPHY
Which current or past U.S. Supreme Court justice best reflects your judicial philosophy?
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Is there a separation of church and state in the Constitution? Please explain.
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Should courts address threats to religious liberty in the United States? If so, how?
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Was Obergefell v. Hodges rightly decided according to the text of the Constitution? Please explain.
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Was Bostock v. Clayton County rightly decided under the law? Please explain.
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I agree that “the custody, care and nurture of the child reside first in the parents, whose primary function and freedom include preparation for obligations the state can neither supply nor hinder.” (Troxel v. Granville, 530 U.S. 57, 65-66 (2000); quoting Prince v. Massachusetts, 321 U.S. 158, 166 (1944).
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What should a judge do when legislative texts and court precedents dictate different results?
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When should a judge overturn past court decisions?
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When, if ever, should a judge take popular opinion or the social views of the majority into consideration?
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Do you believe the meaning of the Constitution changes over time, absent changes through the amendment process of Article V?
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What do you believe is the single most important quality a judge should possess?
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If you are an incumbent judge, describe a recent instance in which you acted to preserve your judicial independence. If you are an aspiring judge, how do you plan to remain independent if elected to the bench?
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ABOUT YOU
What, if any, church or organizations do you belong to?
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I voted in these primaries and general elections:
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Have you ever been convicted of a felony? If so, please explain.
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Have you ever been penalized for sexual misconduct in either civil or criminal court? If so, please explain.
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Would you describe your judicial philosophy as originalist, living constitutionalist, or something else? Please explain.
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VALUES
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
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What is your view of parental rights regarding the upbringing of children, specifically education and sexual "identity"?
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I support "gender identity" as a specially protected class. Please explain.
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What do you believe to be true about the human condition?
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EQUALITY
I agree with Critical Race Theory (CRT).
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