{
  "id": 12630854,
  "title": "These state supreme court races could decide abortion access and trans rights",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/07/these-state-supreme-court-races-could-decide-abortion-access-and",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-07T12:40:42.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Conversation",
    "slug": "the-conversation",
    "url": "https://theconversation.com/these-state-supreme-court-races-could-decide-abortion-access-and-trans-rights-292881"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "State supreme court elections in 31 U.S. states in 2026 could have a profound impact on abortion access and transgender rights. These races are receiving less attention than the general midterms, despite the significance of the decisions that will be made by the judges who are elected. As a law professor who specializes in reproductive health, the author is closely watching these races.\n\nWhen the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, the decision transferred the major issue of abortion from federal constitutional protection to the states. This has led to litigation in state courts, with judges being asked to determine whether state constitutions provide a right to abortion or prohibit restrictions on abortion access.\n\nFor example, in Idaho, the state Supreme Court recently approved a Republican-written ballot initiative that would repeal the state's abortion ban. Meanwhile, in Indiana, the state Supreme Court heard arguments over a religious freedom law that creates an exception to the state's near-total abortion ban. In both cases, the religious freedom law would need to pass the lowest level of judicial review and could be rubber-stamped by lower courts.\n\nIn June 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Tennessee's ban on puberty blockers and hormone therapy for transgender minors did not violate the U.S. Constitution. This decision has allowed lower courts to essentially rubber-stamp bans on such care in roughly two dozen states.\n\nState supreme court judges will decide whether abortion restrictions stay in place or if a minor can receive gender-affirming care. For instance, in North Carolina, which has a predominantly conservative Supreme Court, a Democrat is up for reelection. If she loses, the GOP would gain a near-total supermajority, potentially cementing their edge on key political matters for years to come. Similarly, in Michigan, where all justices are nonpartisan, Democrat-backed justices hold a 6-1 majority and are up for reelection. Democrats want to retain their edge to keep abortion protected.",
  "summary": "Ohio, North Carolina and Michigan have open seats on their state supreme court, and these hotly contested races will influence how those courts rule in several high-stakes cases.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}