Data: Ballotpedia; Chart: Will Chase/Axios
More than half of the state supreme courts in the United States have a majority of justices affiliated with the Republican Party, according to a Ballotpedia study.
Why it matters: Gerrymandering challenges amid this year's redistricting process and disputes about changes to voting rights — issues with the potential to radically change future election outcomes — would, in some cases, be heard by these courts.
By the numbers: About 52% of the 341 state justices Ballotpedia studied are affiliated with the GOP, compared to a third affiliated with Democrats. The researchers were unable to determine partisan affiliations for the remaining 49.
- Eight of the nine justices on Washington state's court of last resort were found to be affiliated with the Democratic Party — more than any other state.
- Texas has the most Republican-affiliated justices, with 18 out of 18 in its two courts of last resort.