The Michigan Republican Party recently nominated Circuit Court Judge Patrick O’Grady for one of two open Supreme Court seats, after another candidate, Matthew DePerno, dropped out of the race due to felony charges related to tampering with voting machines. The Supreme Court races in Michigan are officially nonpartisan, but the nominees are chosen by party convention. Currently, Democratic-backed justices hold a 4-3 majority on the court, and Republican wins in both races could potentially flip control. The Republicans have focused on stopping government overreach, while Democrats are fighting to protect reproductive rights, which were enshrined in the state in 2022.
DePerno, who gained attention for questioning the results of the 2020 election that President Donald Trump lost, cited his desire to help Trump win Michigan as his reason for dropping out of the race. He faces charges related to accessing and tampering with voting machines. The race took an unexpected turn at the nominating convention when former party chairperson Kristina Karamo, who was ousted earlier in the year, was escorted out. Karamo was reportedly attempting to gather votes for another candidate, Alexandria Taylor, who was competing against O’Grady for the nomination. Karamo’s removal came after ongoing disputes within the party over finances and strategy.
O’Grady will face Justice Kyra Harris Bolden, who was appointed to the court by Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, in the general election. Bolden, who is seeking a full term, is unopposed in the Democratic nomination. State Rep. Andrew Fink was chosen by Republican delegates as their nominee for the second open seat on the Supreme Court, which is being vacated by Justice David Viviano. Fink will go up against University of Michigan Law School professor Kimberly Ann Thomas, who was also unopposed in the Democratic convention. Both parties are gearing up for competitive and expensive general election races.
The Democratic convention in Michigan also faced controversy, notably when Palestinian American attorney and activist Huwaida Arraf was not nominated to run for the University of Michigan Board of Regents. Arraf’s supporters expressed dissatisfaction by chanting and demanding transparency in the nomination process. This tension in Michigan followed a decision by the Democratic National Convention in Chicago to exclude a Palestinian American speaker after featuring the parents of an Israeli American hostage. The general election in Michigan is expected to be highly competitive, with candidates on both sides raising substantial amounts of money for their campaigns.
Overall, the race for Michigan’s Supreme Court seats is heating up as candidates from both parties vie for control of the court. The Republicans have nominated Patrick O’Grady and Andrew Fink for the open seats, while the Democrats have chosen Kyra Harris Bolden and Kimberly Ann Thomas as their nominees. The issues at stake in the race include government overreach and reproductive rights, with both parties looking to secure victories that align with their respective priorities. The contentious nominating conventions and ongoing controversies suggest that the upcoming general election in Michigan will be closely watched and fiercely contested.
