Two seats on the Michigan Supreme Court are up for grabs this coming November.
Supreme Court elections in the state are technically non-partisan, meaning candidates appear without a party label on the ballot. Instead, parties nominate their choices for the Supreme Court.
Democratic-backed justices currently hold a 4-3 majority on the Michigan Supreme Court. It’s the highest court in the state, and justices are tasked with interpreting state laws and how they apply to Michiganders.
David Takitaki is the political science program coordinator and professor at Ferris State University. He says this election could create a shift in the ideological disposition of the court.
"It has the possibility of changing quite a bit about the way that Michiganders experience law and government in the state," he said.
Takitaki said the next court will likely be deciding on major cases that could have an impact on minimum wage, voting protections and reproductive rights.
"The disposition of the court towards those things, through either ideology or politics or just their conception of what is good and proper law, could change the way that Michiganders can access everything from their ability to vote for candidates through a fair process to their reproductive rights," he said.
In a special election, voters will decide who will replace former Chief Justice Bridget McCormack after her retirement. Kyra Harris Bolden was appointed to fill the position in 2022 by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. She’s now running for re-election to serve out the remaining four years of the 8-year term. The Michigan GOP nominated Patrick William O’Grady to run against Bolden.
In a regular election, Democrats nominated Kimberly Ann Thomas to run for a full, 8-year term on the bench. She’s running against Republican-backed candidate Andrew Fink.
Michigan Supreme Court special election candidates
Kyra Harris Bolden is currently serving her second year on the Michigan Supreme Court after being appointed to the position in 2022 by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. Bolden received her bachelor’s degree from Grand Valley State University and her Juris Doctorate from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law. Bolden was a criminal defense attorney and later a civil litigation attorney before serving in the Michigan House of Representatives for two terms wherein she sat on the Judiciary Committee.
Patrick William O’Grady is the Circuit Judge for the 15th Circuit Court, where he has served since his election in 2008. O’Grady received his bachelor's degree from Western Michigan University before joining the United States Army Reserve and later the Michigan State Police. While he was a State Trooper with the MSP, O’Grady earned his law degree from Cooley Law School. Before his election to the 15th Circuit Court, O’Grady was an assistant to the Prosecuting Attorney in Branch County.
Michigan Supreme Court general election candidates
Kimberly Ann Thomas is a professor of law at the University of Michigan. Thomas received her undergraduate degree from the University of Maryland, College Park and her law degree from Harvard Law School. She worked as a trial attorney before joining the faculty of the U-M School of Law in 2003. There, she directs the juvenile justice clinic and teaches civil and criminal law.
Andrew Fink is a Republican State Representative, serving since his election 2020. Fink earned his bachelor's degree from Hillsdale College and his law degree from University of Michigan Law School, before joining the United States Marine Corps in 2009. There he served as a Marine Judge Advocate until the end of his service in 2016. Fink has served as the Republican vice chair of the House Judiciary Committee.
