Democrats are hoping to keep their 5-2 majority on the Pennsylvania state supreme court, with three justices who ran as Democrats up for re-election through retention. If they lose, Gov. Josh Shapiro will appoint replacements, to be confirmed by the Republican-controlled senate, which could lead to deadlock on the court.

Brandon Neuman, Maria Battista and Daniel Wassmer are vying for an open seat, while Judge Alice DuBow is up for a retention vote.

HARRISBURG — Pennsylvanians have voted to retain three Democratic state Supreme Court justices, granting them additional terms on the bench after an unusually contentious, multimillion-dollar election.

Pennsylvania Democrats defended the liberal majority on the state Supreme Court Tuesday, CNN’s Decision Desk projects, blocking GOP efforts to flip the balance of power ahead of the next presidential election.

The stakes of Tuesday’s election were high: Had Pennsylvanians voted to remove the justices, the state Supreme Court would go from a seven-member court with a Democratic majority to a four-member court with a complete ideological split. The three justices’ vacant seats would not be filled until another election at the end of 2027.

David Wecht, one of three Democratic justices facing up-or-down retention votes Tuesday, told NBC News that "it's extremely hard to work with a shorthanded court."