Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice David Wecht said Monday that he is no longer a registered Democrat, a move he tied to his concerns about antisemitism inside the party. Wecht said the statement was made in a personal capacity and not on behalf of the court, and that he is now not registered with any political party.

Wecht, 63, has served on the Supreme Court since 2016 and was reelected in 2025 to another 10-year term as a registered Democrat, with his current term running through Dec. 31, 2035. His 2025 victory, along with the success of two other Democratic justices, drew national attention one year after President Donald Trump was elected. But Wecht said his voting registration now also reflects what he described as his judicial independence.

In a written statement, Wecht said he believes “Jew-hatred has always festered on the fringe” and has grown since the 2018 Tree of Life shooting in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood. He said the Democratic Party has changed in the quarter century since the massacre and wrote that “Nazi tattoos, jihadist chants, intimidation and attacks at synagogues, and other hateful anti-Jewish invective and actions are minimized, ignored, and even coddled.” He added that “Acquiescence to Jew-hatred is now disturbingly common among activists, leaders and even many elected officials in the Democratic Party.”

The Tree of Life Congregation carries particular weight for Wecht because he and his wife were married there. The synagogue became the site of Pittsburgh’s deadliest antisemitic attack in 2018, and Wecht’s public break with Democratic registration now places that history at the center of his political identity. He was previously a vice-chair of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party, making the change more than symbolic for a jurist who once held a senior role in the state party.

Wecht said his move was meant to underscore his distance from party politics and his opposition to what he sees as growing anti-Jewish hostility. U.S. Sen. John Fetterman said he fully understands Wecht’s personal choice and added that the Democratic Party must confront its own rising antisemitism problem. A request for comment sent to Gov. Josh Shapiro’s office was not returned Monday afternoon. Wecht closed by saying he hopes Pennsylvanians and Americans of all viewpoints and backgrounds will oppose and resist the scourge of Jew-hatred before it undermines what their ancestors built here.