Both Democratic-backed justices win Michigan Supreme Court seats

Democrats increased their majority on the Michigan Supreme Court after two Democratic nominees defeated two Republican nominees.

Judges Kyra Harris Bolden and Kimberly Ann Thomas won their races for the Michigan Supreme Court, according to the Associated Press. Both already claimed victory Tuesday night during a Michigan Democratic watch party in Detroit.

The victory gives Democrats a 5-2 majority on the state’s highest court.

See the full Michigan election results here

While the election itself is partisan, candidates for the Michigan Supreme Court are nominated by the Democratic and Republican parties.

The term on the bench is eight years.

Thomas, a University of Michigan law professor, defeated Republican state lawmaker Andrew Fink, unofficial results from the Associated Press show. The seat Thomas won is currently held by Judge David Viviano, a Republican candidate who decided not to run for re-election.

With 78% of the votes counted at 06.30 Thomas secured 60.1% of the votes to Fink’s 39.1%.

Ball also decisively won his race against Branch County Circuit Court Judge Patrick William O’Grady by a vote of 61.3% to 38.7%.

Appointed by Governor Gretchen Whitmer to fill a vacancy in 2022, Bolden will serve only four years to fill out the remainder of the term.

Thomas and Bolden will serve alongside Democratic appointees Richard Bernstein, Megan Cavanagh and Elizabeth Welch and Republican appointees Chief Justice Elizabeth Clement and Judge Brian K. Zahra.