The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear Delaware Gov. John Carney's challenge to a federal appellate ruling earlier this year, which struck down provisions of the Delaware Constitution mandating political party balance on key state courts.

The high court, in a brief order, announced that it had granted certiorari in the case, which could upend Delaware's unique approach to appointing judges for some of its most influential courts. The justices directed the parties to submit briefing on the questions presented in Carney's petition, as well as the additional issue of whether the challenger, a retired attorney who said he was overlooked for judgeships, had Article III standing to bring his claims.

The lawsuit, on appeal from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, has garnered significant attention in Delaware for its potential to reshape the state's judicial nomination process. But it has also exposed a split among some of the nation's circuit courts as to whether judges qualify as "policymakers," who can be appointed based, at least in part, on their political party affiliation.