Democrats grow Michigan Supreme Court edge as Kyra Bolden, Kimberly Thomas win | Bridge Michigan (original) (raw)

LANSING — Incumbent Justice Kyra Harris Bolden and Kimberly Ann Thomas won Michigan Supreme Court races on Tuesday, growing on an ideological edge for Democratic nominees.

While Supreme Court seats are technically nonpartisan, candidates are nominated at political party conventions, and Democratic nominees have held a 4-3 majority since 2020.

That advantage will grow to 5-2 with the win by Thomas, a University of Michigan law professor who will replace retiring Justice David Viviano, a Republican nominee. She beat state Rep. Andrew Fink, R-Hillsdale, for a full six-year term on the state's highest court.

Bolden, who had been appointed in 2022 by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, will complete a partial term that runs through 2028 after defeating Patrick O'Grady, a longtime Branch County circuit court judge and former state trooper.

See the latest results below:

Partisan implications

The ACLU of Michigan, which had supported Bolden and Thomas, thanked Michigan voters for “resoundingly” electing a “pro civil liberties majority” to the court. Likewise, EMILY’s List, a political action committee that helps elect Democratic women, also issued a statement congratulating Bolden and Thomas.

While Supreme Court races are listed on the nonpartisan portion of the Michigan ballot, the makeup of the bench has partisan significance because justices are frequently asked to decide politically charged debates.

In recent years, Michigan’s highest court has issued rulings that cemented state law on high-profile issues including LGBTQ rights, the state's minimum wage, COVID-19 emergency powers and the state’s authority to regulate pollution.

This month, justices will hear arguments pertaining to chemical giant 3M’s lawsuit challenging Michigan’s limits on PFAS in drinking water, and there are several pending abortion-related lawsuits that could eventually reach the court.

An expensive race

The Supreme Court races drew significant contributions from outside sources. As of Oct. 20, a super PAC called Justice For All had raised $7.9 million to support Bolden and Thomas.

Both Democratic nominees also had a fundraising advantage over their opponents, with their campaigns each raising more than $1 million including large donations from individual donors, labor unions and progressive groups.

Campaign finance disclosures show the Republican nominees raised less. As of Oct. 20, O’Grady had raised 231,789andFinkhadraised231,789 and Fink had raised 231,789andFinkhadraised328,572, including donations from the Farm Bureau, conservative groups and members of the DeVos family.