Pennsylvania Justice Wecht Leaves Democratic Party Over Antisemitism

David Wecht, a justice on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, announced on May 11, 2026, that he is leaving the Democratic Party and registering as an independent, citing the mainstreaming of antisemitism within the party. Wecht stated that "Jew-hatred" has moved from the fringes to become common among Democratic activists, leaders, and elected officials, and that the party has coddled, ignored, and minimized antisemitic incidents including Nazi tattoos, jihadist chants, and attacks on synagogues.

Wecht, a former Vice-Chair of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party and the son of the late Democratic figure Cyril Wecht, pointed to Maine Democratic Senate nominee Graham Platner as a specific example. Platner previously revealed he had a Nazi-like symbol tattoo from his military service. Wecht also drew a personal connection to the issue, noting he was married at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, the site of a 2018 antisemitic massacre. He emphasized that while such terror historically came from the right, it has increasingly grown on the left.

The registration change shifts the partisan balance of Pennsylvania's highest court from a 5-2 Democratic majority to a 4-2-1 split. Wecht, who won a retention election in November 2025 for a 10-year term, clarified that his statement was made in a personal capacity and that his judicial adjudication has always been independent. U.S. Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania responded that he "fully understands" Wecht's decision, though he affirmed he is not changing his own party affiliation, adding that "the Democratic Party must confront its own rising antisemitism problem." The development comes amid broader scrutiny of antisemitism within the Democratic Party following Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.