USA Today: State supreme court races have new significance

UC political scientist David Niven tells USA Today that state supreme courts are something of the hidden giant of American politics that have enormous effects on policy outcomes and yet they’re given almost no thought by the average voter. Turnout, he said, often suffers from "runoff," where voters make selections in other races but skip the lesser-known judicial elections.

In 2022, though, state courts are getting more attention as they deliver key decisions on issues ranging from redistricting to abortion access. Competitive races are expected in several states where the 2022 election could tip partisan control of the courts.

In 2022, 87 of the 344 seats on state supreme courts are up for election in 32 states, the article says.

Niven, a professor in UC’s School of Public and International Affairs, is a trusted academic resource on local, regional and national politics. His research focus is on political campaigns, gerrymandering, political communication and death penalty policy.

UC’s School of Public and International Affairs was created out of the former Department of Political Science, which dates to 1914. Experts from the school are regularly cited in national and international media outlets.

The school is widely known for having academic experts in all aspects of the political realm and Niven is a trusted media source often cited for having his finger on the pulse of American politics.

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