Millions Poured into State High Court Races Gain Parties Little

Republicans’ flipping North Carolina’s Supreme Court stood out in midterm elections in which the two parties mostly stalemated despite titanic spending on state high court races.

The political parties and their affiliated groups poured more than $63 million into TV and internet advertising campaigns bashing the other side’s candidates in 11 states’ high court races.

The heightened interest on state court races was a recognition of the new importance of state judiciaries in the wake of the US Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision overturning a federal right to an abortion. State judges can now lead on abortion policy and related topics ...