Here are Pa.’s 2021 statewide judicial races and what you need to know about them Updated May 04, 2021; By Stephen Caruso | Pennsylvania Capital-Star Registered Democrats and Republicans across the commonwealth will have to pick their candidates to run for four open seats on all three of the state’s appellate courts. If elected, these judges will serve a 10-year term before they’ll stand for a yes or no retention vote. We’ll dive into the specifics of the courts — and the candidates — below. But one quick thing — under state law, judicial candidates can’t say much about policy or politics when they’re running, leaving voters with little information outside of endorsements from interest groups or elected officials.