A Republican on the Texas Supreme Court is leaving open the possibility of stepping down early, which Bloomberg Law reports would likely flip control of the court to Democrats.
Justice Debra Lehrmann told the outlet she hasn’t ruled out retiring before her term is up.
Republicans currently hold a one-seat majority on the high court. Four GOP justices lost to Democratic challengers in last week’s elections, as part of a massive blue wave that saw every statewide partisan office up for election won by Democrats.
A mid-term vacancy from Lehrmann’s theoretical retirement would be filled by Gov.-elect Gina Hinojosa, the Democrat who defeated Gov. Greg Abbott.
Democratic control of the Texas Supreme Court could have monumental policy implications on everything from redistricting to voting rights to abortion rights.
Lehrmann, the longest-serving justice on the court, is one of the most moderate of the Republican wing. She was the sole dissenter in a 2024 ruling upholding a GOP-passed ban on certain types of gender-affirming care for children, calling the law “cruel” and “unconstitutional.”
In addition to their wins in statewide office, Texas Democrats gained control of the state House of Representatives, though they came up short of a majority in the state Senate, potentially setting off deadlock and drama in the upcoming session. Senate Republicans are already discussing removing long-standard powers of the lieutenant governor to direct the chamber, now that office will be held by Democrat Vikki Goodwin.
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