PA Justice Leaves Democratic Party Over Antisemitism Concerns

Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice David Wecht announced on Monday that he is leaving the Democratic Party, citing what he described as rampant antisemitism within the party. Wecht, who was elected to the state’s Supreme Court in 2015 as a Democrat, stated that he is now an independent voter. In a statement shared by Spotlight PA reporter Stephen Caruso, Wecht claimed that antisemitism, which he said had historically been more prevalent on the political right, was becoming mainstream on the political left. He referenced the 2018 Tree of Life Congregation mass shooting in Pittsburgh, where he had been married and served on the synagogue’s board of trustees, as an example of right-wing antisemitism. However, he argued that similar hatred was now growing on the left, moving from the fringe to mainstream acceptance. Wecht’s departure follows similar concerns raised by Democratic Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman, who has also criticized antisemitism within the party. Wecht emphasized that he is not joining the Republican Party but is instead choosing to remain unaffiliated. He urged Pennsylvanians and Americans of all backgrounds to oppose and resist antisemitism.