David Rullo | Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle
Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice David Wecht has left the Democratic Party.
In a May 11 statement, Wecht cited “acquiescence to Jew-hatred that is now disturbingly common among activists, leaders and many elected officials in the Democratic Party” as the reason for his decision.
“I can no longer abide by this,” he wrote. “So, I won’t. I am no longer registered with any political party.”
In his statement, Wecht recounted being married at the Tree of Life Congregation, where he served on the board of trustees, and the Oct. 27, 2018, Pittsburgh synagogue shooting that occurred there.
“That terror came from the right,” he wrote. “Jew-hatred has always festered on the fringe of that sector.”
That same hatred, he said, has now grown on the left.
“Nazi tattoos, jihadist chants, intimidation and attacks at synagogues, and other hateful anti-Jewish invective and actions are minimized, ignored and even coddled,” he wrote.
He went on to call “Jew-hatred” a “virus” that was the duty of all good people to fight.
The reference to Nazi tattoos appears to take aim at Maine Democratic Senate nominee Graham Platner, who had a tattoo of a Nazi symbol while serving in the U.S. military. Platner denied knowledge of the symbol’s relation to Nazi ideology and has since had it covered.
Platner is favored to win the party’s primary for the Senate seat.
Wecht, along with two other Democratic judges, was reelected in November to a 10-year term on the bench. In 2020, Wecht ruled against an effort to overturn President Joe Biden’s victory in Pennsylvania.
His decision to leave the party will not affect the balance of the court which, prior to his announcement, enjoyed a 5-2 Democratic favor. Wecht said in his statement that his judicial decisions are made without regard to party affiliation.
“My jurisprudence and adjudication have always been independent, and they always will be,” he wrote. “Now, my voting registration reflects that independence as well.”
Wecht’s break with the Democratic Party carries significance beyond its implications for the court. A longtime party supporter, he served as vice chair of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party from 1998 to 2001.
His father, the late Cyril Wecht, was a party faithful serving many positions during his career, including Allegheny County coroner, Allegheny County commissioner, chairman of the Allegheny County Democratic Party and as a member of the Allegheny County Board of Commissioners.
Wecht isn’t the only Democrat who has had issues with his party over perceived anti-Jewish and anti-Israel rhetoric and positions.
Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman has been a staunch defender of Israel, putting him in opposition to other state leaders like U.S. Rep. Summer Lee, who has put forth a series of bills attempting to stop the sale of weapons to Israel and whose public statements vilifying the Jewish state have riled many in the Jewish community.
Fetterman’s unwavering support of Israel and other positions that have put him at odds with some fellow Democrats have prompted questions about whether he could become the next high-profile defection from the party. He has denied plans to switch parties.
“I know David and his legendary father, Cyril,” Fetterman said on the social media platform X following Wecht’s announcement. “As I’ve affirmed, I’m not changing my party — but I fully understand David’s personal choice. The Democratic Party must confront its own rising antisemitism problem.”
For Wecht, the decision to sever ties with the Democratic Party is one he hopes will help stop the spread of antisemitism.
“It is my hope that Pennsylvanians and Americans, of all viewpoints and backgrounds, will oppose and resist the scourge of Jew-hatred before it undermines what our ancestors have built here,” he wrote.