The Michigan Supreme Court majority is up for debate as four candidates vie for two seats

In recent years, judges have decided cases involving, among other things, LGBTQ rights, the federal minimum wage and disputes over state authority during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, there are several abortion-related lawsuits pending that could ultimately reach court.

Bolden and his Democratic running mate Kimberly Ann Thomas have a significant financial advantage over Republican opponents William Patrick O'Grady and Rep. Andrew Fink, raising more than $1 million each in major donations from political action committees affiliated with labor unions, Democratic elected officials and others are affiliated with ACLU of Michigan.

Thomas, who is running against Fink for the full eight-year term, also received notable support from incumbent Chief Justice Elizabeth Clement, a Republican nominee who was originally appointed to the bench by former Gov. Rick Snyder.

In a statement recently distributed by Thomas' campaign team, Clement said she has worked with Thomas on the state's bipartisan juvenile justice task force and is “full of confidence that she will continue to advocate for collaborative and practical ways to improve our state courts.” “.

Clement's support for Thomas was “tremendously significant,” said Eric Steinberg, president of the Michigan Association for Justice, a group that represents trial lawyers and supports Democratic candidates.

“She is a sitting Republican judge who supported a Democratic-nominated candidate over the Republican-backed candidate,” he continued. “To be honest, she’s taking a big political risk, and that really almost never happens these days.”

Snyder, the former governor, disagrees with his one-time pick for the Supreme Court.

“The names to remember are Fink and O'Grady,” he told attendees at a recent campaign rally in Auburn Hills, calling the Republican candidates “big assets” to ensure a better Supreme Court.

Incumbent is challenged by the district judge

Bolden, a former representative from Southfield, is one of two Democratic candidates and the only incumbent judge on the list this year. He is running for re-election to serve a partial term ending January 1, 2029.

She lost a statewide election to a full term in 2022, but was nominated by Whitmer that same month to replace the outgoing Judge McCormack. She has been a leader in campaign fundraising, raising about $1.3 million for the race as of mid-September.

Bolden's challenger is William Patrick O'Grady, a longtime Branch County Circuit Court judge and former state trooper who has presided over nearly 14,000 criminal and civil cases.

Bolden is the first Black woman to serve on the Michigan Supreme Court and she is the only current justice with legislative experience.

Prior to her appointment to the court, Bolden served two terms as a Democrat in the state legislature, where she worked on criminal justice reforms and championed bills to protect survivors of sexual violence.

She told Bridge Michigan in May that her background as a legislator has proven “very, very helpful” in considering cases involving legislative intent, adding that she understands the potential generational impact of court decisions on take the people of Michigan seriously.

“I believe that the Supreme Court should reflect the state of Michigan … because that's how you get to the right answer when we have different experiences at the table,” she said. “I hope (voters) see me as an important part of generational justice, not just for themselves, but for their children and their children’s children.”

O'Grady's path to the bench wasn't straightforward either – he worked as a state trooper and field training officer before returning to law school, and became a prosecutor before being elected judge.

During a League of Women Voters forum in September with three of the four Supreme Court nominees, O'Grady said responding to people “in their greatest need” informs his work protecting the rights of citizens and families from the bench have.

O'Grady has described himself as a “rule of law judge” who would not legislate from the bench. During the forum, he said he believes judges should “kick politics to the door” when making decisions and be willing to hear other viewpoints.

“Everyone has a bias. The question is whether you can put that bias aside and be able to answer these legal questions in a very impartial way,” he said.

Lawmaker and law professor are seeking a full term

Thomas and Fink are seeking the full eight-year term left open by Viviano, who announced in March that he would not seek re-election to Michigan's highest court.

Fink, of Adams Township, is a Republican representative in the state House of Representatives, where he serves as vice chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. He originally planned to challenge Bolden over her partial term, but instead ran for Viviano's vacant seat after the incumbent judge announced his retirement.

Fink told Bridge he hopes to be a “transformational leader” on a Supreme Court that he believes has “seen better days,” saying he would take an original approach and strive to legislate that way to interpret how they were written.