4 candidates compete for 2 seats on Michigan's Supreme Court
(CBS DETROIT) — A pair of seats on the Michigan Supreme Court are up for grabs on Tuesday, Nov. 5.
Michigan Supreme Court Justice Kyra Harris Bolden, a 2022 appointee of Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, faces off against 15th Circuit Court Judge Patrick William O'Grady in a race for a partial four-year term.
Democratic nominee Kimberly Ann Thomas faces Republican state Rep. Andrew Fink for a full, eight-year term. The winner will take the seat of Justice David Viviano, who announced in March that he would not seek reelection this fall. Viviano was appointed by former Gov. Rick Snyder in 2013 and is wrapping up an eight-year term after winning the election in 2014.
While Michigan Supreme Court seats are nonpartisan, candidates are nominated at state party conventions. Democratic justices currently hold a 4-3 majority on the Court. Republicans can gain a 4-3 majority if both O'Grady and Fink win.
In recent years, the Michigan Supreme Court has ruled on several prominent cases, including in July when it reinstated major changes to the state's minimum wage and paid sick leave laws.
The candidates
Bolden is the first Black woman to serve on Michigan's Supreme Court. She was appointed by Whitmer to replace Bridget Mary McCormack when McCormack retired in 2022. The 36-year-old earned her law degree from the University of Detroit Mercy and worked in criminal defense and civil litigation. Bolden served two terms in the State House, representing Michigan's 35th district. She was succeeded in the State House by Fink, who is running against Thomas.
O'Grady has been the judge of the 15th Circuit Court since he was first elected in 2008. He graduated from the Thomas M. Cooley Law School in 1999 and was a Michigan State Police trooper upon graduation. He also served in the U.S. Army Reserve. O'Grady was a Branch County assistant prosecutor until he became a Circuit Court Judge.
Thomas is a law professor at the University of Michigan Law School and oversees the Juvenile Justice Clinic, which represents people who cannot afford legal representation. Thomas served on the bipartisan Michigan Task Force on Juvenile Justice Reform. She graduated from Harvard Law School. Before joining the University of Michigan faculty in 2003, she was a trial attorney for the Defender Association of Philadelphia.
Fink was first elected to the State House in 2020, representing Michigan's 58th district before redistricting and being elected to the 35th district in 2022. He serves as Republican vice chair of the Michigan House Judiciary Committee. Fink received his law degree from the University of Michigan and was a judge advocate for the U.S. Marines.
