Republicans retained their majority on Ohio's top court and are leading in a race to unseat a sitting Democratic justice on North Carolina's following an election cycle in which Democrats had hoped the issue of abortion access would help liberal candidates secure seats on state supreme courts nationwide.

The winners in all three races received more than 55% of the vote. Republicans have held a majority on the seven-member Ohio Supreme Court since 1986. In the past two election cycles, a new law required party labels for candidates for supreme court and appellate courts. Republicans swept the supreme court races in 2022 and this year.

A justice who wrote a blistering dissent when the Arkansas Supreme Court blocked an abortion-rights measure from the ballot has been elected to lead the court.

John Devine, Jane Bland and Jimmy Blacklock won their reelection bids over Democrat challengers backed by groups that support expanding abortion access.

Three Republican justices appear likely to retain their seats on the all-GOP Texas Supreme Court, according to unofficial election results. The Associated Press called the races for Justices Jimmy Blacklock and Jane Bland shortly after midnight while Justice John Devine held a comfortable lead early Wednesday,