Friday, July 03, 2026

Michigan Right to Life endorsements

Michigan Right to Life has just issued its endorsements for the 2026 primary.  RTL has influenced a significant number of Michigan primary voters, so its endorsements will decide some races.  Following the passage of a pro-abortion referendum, some candidates are moderating their positions on abortion, and a larger number of incumbents have not sought (or not obtained) the RTL endorsement.  It remains to be seen whether RTL will have as much sway as in past cycles.

RTL will recommend all candidates if they are all pro-life, but if there is a serious non-pro-life candidate, they will pick one pro-life candidate to endorse.  Their noteworthy endorsements are listed below.  RTL has not issued many sole endorsements in contested primaries this year.

https://rtl.org/get-involved/elections/endorsed-candidates/

All three candidates for governor are endorsed.
No endorsement is listed for US Senate.

Congress: All Republican incumbents are endorsed.
10. All four candidates endorsed

State senate:  All Republican incumbents are endorsed.  For seats that are open or have no pro-life incumbent, we have the following.
4. Marcie Grzywacz
20. Kenny Clevenger and Chris Moraitis
22. Mike Murphy
23. Donni Steele solely endorsed.
24. Douglas Wozniak solely endorsed.
25. Three (all but John Mahaney) endorsed.
26. Matthew Bierlein, Daltson Atwell, and Gabriel Lossing
31. John Wetzel and Michael Markey Jr.
32. Kim Cole
33. All four endorsed
35. Jason Tunney solely endorsed.
38. both endorsed

State house: All Republican incumbents are endorsed except Brad Paquette, Matt Hall, Mike Harris, Mark Tisdel, Thomas Kuhn, Ron Robinson, Alicia St. Germaine, Mike Mueller and Karl Bohnak.  For seats that are open or have no pro-life incumbent, we have the following. 

31. Laura M. Perry
54. Roman Gaskey solely endorsed.
59. Sylvia Grot solely endorsed.
61. Robert Wojtowicz solely endorsed.
76. Bill Kaiser solely endorsed.
78. all four endorsed
89. both endorsed
90. Lynn Afendoulis solely endorsed.
97. both endorsed
101. Four (all but Luke Eising) endorsed.
108. Four (all but Kurt Perron and Steven Viau) endorsed.

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2026 Michigan State Senate Races

Last updated July 3, 2026.

All 38 seats in the Michigan Senate are up for election in 2026.  Democrats currently have a 20-18 majority, which they won in 2022.  The Michigan state senate is up only in midterms, which don't favor Republicans they way they did prior to 2016.  Republicans lost two seats in the bad year of 2022.

Michigan's Independent Redistricting Commission drew a state senate map for 2022.  The commission drew lines that split many counties and split Grand Rapids, Ann Arbor, and the Lansing area to benefit Ds.  The city of Detroit was split to reduce the number of black-majority districts from five to zero.  The commission created several competitive districts.

Michigan Redistricting: State Senate Map Approved


Interactive versions of the map are available at Dave's Redistricting and MICRC.

Michigan State Senate Map-Dave's Redistricting
Michigan State Senate Map-MICRC (old map)

2026 Candidate List (Michigan Secretary of State)

In 2024, a federal court found that many districts in metro Detroit were racially gerrymandered and struck down this portion of the map.  Districts 1-11, 13, 23, and 24 have been redrawn for 2026.  In particular, the new district 13 is more winniable for the GOP.

18 senators are term-limited.  Two senators are running for congress, one for governor, one for US Senate, and two just retired.  There will also be several interesting general election races. 

Michigan's term limits law was changed by constitutional amendment in 2022.  Previously, someone could serve up to 6 years in the state house and 8 years in the state senate.  This was changed to a total of 12 years total in the legislature.  Previously, many state reps ran for state senate when (or before) their six years was up, and usually almost all state senators were previously state reps.  Now, state reps can serve all 12 years in the state house, so fewer are running for state senate, and some districts have no state reps running.  Alternatively, three state reps did not seek reelection in 2024 so they would be eligible for two terms in the state senate, rather than one.

Consider the districts in detail.

Percentages are given for the 2022 election in districts that are unchanged.  The election data for each district is the R candidates for President 2016 (P16), Attorney General 2018 (AG18), Governor 2018 (G18), and President 2020 (P20).  (There was 1-5% of the vote for third party candidates in these races.)

1. [SC Detroit, Downriver] Safe D
P16: 17 G18: 15 AG18: 16 P20: 19 P24: 23
This seat is 48% black and 18% Hispanic.  Senator Erika Geiss is term limited.  Former state rep (20-24) Abraham Aiyash, who retired to be eligible to run for two terms, faces activist Justin Onwenu for the D nomination.  Patrick O'Connell will be the R nominee.

2. [Dearborn, Dearborn Heights] Safe D
P16: 38 G18: 32 AG18: 34 P20: 37 P24: 45
This seat has a significant Middle Eastern population.  Senator Sylvia Santana is term limited.  Activist Abbas Alawieh and state rep (22-26) Erin Byrnes are seeking the D nomination.  Harry Sawicki will be the R nominee, as in 2022.

3. [E Detroit] Safe D
P16: 3 G18: 4 AG18: 4 P20: 5 P24: 10
This seat is 78% black.  Stephanie Chang is term limited.  Former senator Adam Hollier, who ran for Congress in 2022 and 2024 is seeking the D nomination.  He is one of 11 candidates, along with Mohammad Alam, John Conyers III, LeJuan Council, former state rep (14-20) LaTanya Garrett, Korey Hall, Kimberly Hill Knott, Gary Hunter, Toinu Reeves, Abraham Shaw, and Eboni Taylor.  Mark Price is the R nominee.

4. [S Wayne] Safe D
P16: 45.9 G18: 40 AG18: 41 P20: 46.6 P24: 49
Senator Darrin Camilleri is running for reelection.  The R nominee is Marcie Grzywacz.

5. [Canton, Westland] Safe D
P16: 40 G18: 36 AG18: 38 P20: 39 P24: 41
State rep (18-26) Matt Koleszar is the D nominee.  Estelle Oliansky is the R nominee.

6. [W Detroit, Redford] Safe D
P16: 8 G18: 8 AG18: 8 P20: 9 P24: 10
This seat is 84% black.  Incumbent Mary Cavanagh, who once pled to 'superdrunk' driving is running for reelection.  She is being challenged for the D nomination by Stephen Jensen.  The R nominee is Joi Pokerwinski.
7. [Southfield, Pontiac, Bloomfield Hills] Safe D
P16: 29 G18: 29 AG18: 30 P20: 29 P24: 31
This seat is 38% black.  Incumbent Jeremy Moss is running for congress.  State rep (22-26) Jason Hoskins, businesswoman Shadia Martini, and surgeon Rakesh Ramakrishnan are seeking the D nomination.  The R nominee is Anthony Paesano.

8. [Livonia, Farmington Hills, Novi] Safe D
P16: 45 G18: 42 AG18: 44 P20: 42 P24: 43
District 5 incumbent Dayna Polehanki will run here.  The R candidate is Kenneth Massey.

9. [Troy, Rochester Hills, Sterling Heights] Tossup
P16: 50.6 G18: 46.7 AG18: 49.3 P20: 49 P24: 51.3
This suburban seat is 17% Asian.  It moved about 0.5% left in the new map.  Incumbent Michael Webber (R) is running for reelection.  Troy City Councilwoman Theresa Brooks, Oakland County Commissioner Brendan Johnson, and attorney Ren Nushaj are seeking the D nomination.

10. [Royal Oak, Madison Heights, W Warren] Safe D
P16: 33 G18: 29 AG18: 30 P20: 32 P24: 34
This seat is 42% black.  White incumbent Paul Wojno is term limited.  Mark Anthony Murphy, state rep (22-26) Natalie Price, and activist Amanda Treppa are seeking the D nomination. Michelle Nard will be the R nominee.

11. [E Warren, E Sterling Heights, Roseville] Safe D
P16: 46 G18: 39 AG18: 41 P20: 45 P24: 47
This seat is 20% black.  Incumbent Veronica Klinefelt (D) is running for reelection.  Joseph Hunt and Alysha are also seeking the D nomination.  Johnnie Townsend is the R nominee.

12. [Lake St. Clair shoreline] Tossup
49.9-50.1 P16: 52.2 G18: 46.4 AG18: 48.9 P20: 51.5 P24: 53
This district hugging the Lake St. Clair shoreline is actually a decent draw for Rs.  Unlike the congressional and state house maps, the Grosse Pointes are not drowned in a Detroit district.  
Incumbent Kevin Hertel (D) of St. Clair Shores is running for reelection.  Joseph Backus, Patrick Biange, who ran as a D for state house in 2024, small businessman John Goldwater, Algonac Mayor Eileen Tesch, and businesswoman Shelley Wright are seeking the R nomination.

13. [West Bloomfield, Commerce, Waterford] Tossup
P16: 49.2 G18: 44.6 AG18: 46.6 P20: 48 P24: 49.9
Ten years ago, this would have been an R district, but these upscale suburban areas moved left under Trump.  The remap moved this district 3-6% right.  Incumbent Rosemary Bayer (D) is retiring.  Former Oakland County deputy county executive Sean Carlson, who resigned under investigation, is running.  DC Anderson and small business owner Cecil George are also seeking the D nomination.  Former state rep (18-22) Ryan Berman is the R nominee.

14. [N Washtenaw, Jackson] Safe D
44-56 P16: 43.8 G18: 40.4 AG18: 42.4 P20: 43.9 P24: 45
In one of the outrageous pro-D gerrymanders on the map, Ann Arbor is split in half in an attempt to drown most of Jackson County in a D district.  Incumbent Sue Shink (D) is running for reelection.  Tawn Beliger is the R nominee.
15. [S Washtenaw] Safe D
26-74 P16: 27 G18: 26 AG18: 27 P20: 26 P24: 27
The rest of Washtenaw is safe for any D.  Incumbent Jeff Irwin is term limited.  Former state rep (20-24) Felicia Brabec, who retired in 2024 to be eligible to run for two terms, is running.  Michael White is also seeking the D nomination.  Jason Rogers is the R nominee.

16. [Monroe, Lenawee, Hillsdale] Safe R
65-35 P16: 60 G18: 55 AG18: 57 P20: 62 P24: 64
Incumbent Joe Bellino is running for reelection.  Deandre Barnes is the D nominee.

17. [S Berrien, Cass, St. Joseph, Branch, E Calhoun] Safe R
65-35 P16: 62 G18: 58 AG18: 60 P20: 63 P24: 64
Trumpist conservative Jonathan Lindsey is running for reelection.  Ashleigh Baker, Mike Jones, and Brett Muchow are seeking the D nomination.

18. [W Calhoun, Barry, SE Kent, E Allegan] Safe R
62-38 P16: 59 G18: 55 AG18: 58 P20: 60 P24: 61
Incumbent Thomas Albert of Lowell is running for reelection.  The D nominee is Anthony Pennock.

19. [Kalamazoo, Antwerp Twp] Safe D
40-60 P16: 41 G18: 39 AG18: 42 P20: 40 P24: 41
Incumbent Sean McCann is term limited and running for congress.  The D nominee is state rep (18-26) Julie Rogers.  The R candidate is Shaun Young.

20. [N Berrien, Van Buren, W Allegan, SW Kent] Safe R
61-39 P16: 57 G18: 55 AG18: 57 P20: 57 P24: 58
Incumbent R leader Aric Nesbitt is term limited and ran for governor.  Casco Township Treasurer and Allegan GOP chair Kenny Clevenger has most support in Allegan County.  Attorney Chris Moraitis, son-in-law of former state senator (10-18) Tonya Schuitmaker, has the most support in Van Buren County.  Curtis Clark, who ran for congress with the Constitution Party in 2022 and 2024, is also seeking the R nomination.  Dale Murney is the D nominee.

21. [W Ingham, Eaton] Safe D
40-60 P16: 41 G18: 37 AG18: 40 P20: 41 P24: 43
In another outrageous pro-D gerrymander, Lansing is split, and East Lansing is put a into separate district.  Incumbent Sarah Anthony is running for reelection.  Josh Burns is the R nominee.
22. [Livingston, S. Genessee] Safe R
61-37 P16: 62 G18: 56 AG18: 59 P20: 61 P24: 61
Incumbent conservative Lana Theis is term limited.  Livingston County Sheriff Mike Murphy is unopposed for the R nomination.  Robert Hower is the D candidate.

23. [N Oakland] Safe R
P16: 62 G18: 57 AG18: 59 P20: 60 P24: 61
This district was redrawn to include R areas in north Oakland.  Incumbent Jim Runestad is term limited.  Moderate state rep (22-26) Donni Steele has most establishment support.  Small businessman Daniel Lawless is also seeking the R nomination.  Margarette Gupta and Greg Hill are seeking the D nomination.

24. [N Macomb] Safe R
P16: 62 G18: 55 AG18: 58 P20: 62 P24: 63
This district was redrawn to include R areas in north Macomb.  Incumbent Ruth Johnson is term limited.  State rep (18-21, 22-26) and former state senator (21-22) Doug Wozniak, who won a 2021 state senate special election for a Macomb-based seat, is running, and has most establishment support.  Wozniak deferred to Johnson in 2022 after redistricting put them in the same district.  He was succeeded in the state house by Terence Mekoski, a former police officer and Stop the Steal candidate.  Wozniak ran for state house and defeated Mekoski in 2022.  Now Mekoski is running this year.  Frank Borsellino and Edlira Sako are seeking the D nomination.

25. [St. Clair, Sanilac, Huron] Safe R
67-33 P16: 65 G18: 57 AG18: 60 P20: 66 P24: 68
Incumbent Dan Lauwers is term limited.  Former state rep (20-24) Andrew Beeler, who retired to be eligible to run for two terms, is running.  Also running is former state rep (18-22) Gary Eisen, who lost a redistricting-induced matchup with Beeler in 2022 and lost a comeback attempt in 2024.  Also seeking the R nomination are John Mahaney and former Mussey Township Supervisor Randy Schultz.  The D nominee is April Osentoski.

26. [Lapeer, NE Genessee, S Saginaw, W Tuscola] Safe R
62-38 P16: 59 G18: 52 AG18: 56 P20: 61 P24: 63
Incumbent Kevin Daley is term limited.  State rep (22-26) Matthew Bierlein, small business owner Daltson Atwell, James Graham, farmer Gabriel Lossing, and Candice Miller (not the former SOS) are seeking the R nomination.  Martin Cousineau and Brendan Johnson are seeking the D nomination.

27. [central Genessee] Safe D
36-64 P16: 36 G18: 32 AG18: 35 P20: 37 P24: 40
This seat is 29% black.  Incumbent John D. Cherry, the son of the state senator and LG of the same name, is running for reelection.  Bill Bain and Tammy Parillo are seeking the R nomination.

28. [East Lansing, Clinton, Schiawassee] Safe D
42-56 P16: 43.2 G18: 38.2 AG18: 43.9 P20: 43.6 P24: 44.5
This is the other half of the gerrymander that split East Lansing from Lansing.  Incumbent Sam Singh is retiring.  Ingham County Commissioner Mark Polsdofer is endorsed by Singh and has the most establishment support.  MSU professor Rashida Harrison, police officer Ted Kilvington, and Ingham County Commissioner Robert Pena are also seeking the D nomination.  Julie DeRose is the R nominee.

29. [S Grand Rapids, Wyoming, Kentwood] Safe D
40-60 P16: 37 G18: 37 AG18: 39 P20: 35 P24: 36
This district was held by an R until 2018, but Grand Rapids has zoomed left under Trump.  Incumbent Winnie Brinks is term limited.  State rep (22-26) Phil Skaggs will seek the D nomination, along with DSA candidate Ivan Diaz and East Grand Rapids City Commissioner Abbie Groff-Blaszak.  Brady Middleton is the R nominee.
30. [N Grand Rapids, central Kent, NE Ottawa] Tossup
49.8-48.9 P16: 50.1 G18: 47.4 AG18: 50.6 P20: 47.1 P24: 47
Another gerrymander is splitting Grand Rapids between 29 and 30 to create a competitive district here.  Fortunately, the rural areas of Kent and Ottawa are still solidly R downballot, through the presidential numbers got much worse under Trump.  Incumbent Mark Huizenga (R) is seeking reelection.  State rep (22-26) Carol Glanville and activist Rickie Kreuzer are seeking the D nomination.

31. [Ottawa, Holland area] Safe R
62-38 P16: 61 G18: 60 AG18: 63 P20: 59 P24: 59
Incumbent Roger Victory is term limited.  Businessman John Wetzel has mostly establishment support.  Financial advisor and 2024 congressional candidate Michael Markey Jr. has a mix of establishment and grassroots support.  House washer Kevin Maas is also seeking the R nomination.  Keagan Host and Chris Kleinjans are seeking the D nomination.

32. [Muskegon, Lake Michigan coast] Lean R
53-47 P16: 49.6 G18: 46.4 AG18: 49.2 P20: 51.7 P24: 52.7
Incumbent Jon Bumstead is term limited.  Mason County Sheriff Kim Cole and frequent Libertarian candidate Max Riekse are seeking the R nomination.  College professor Rebecca Amidon is the D nominee.

33. [N Kent, Ionia, Montcalm, Newaygo, Lake] Safe R
66-34 P16: 64 G18: 59 AG18: 62 P20: 66 P24: 67
Incumbent Rick Outman is term limited.  State rep (22-26) Joseph Fox, state rep (22-26) Gina Johnsen, frequent candidate Tom Norton, and Katie DeBoer are running here.  Johnsen has the most establishment support, while Fox has some more grassroots endorsements.  Stan Opal is the D nominee.

34. [central Lower Peninsula] Safe R
64-33 P16: 60 G18: 55 AG18: 58 P20: 63 P24: 65
Incumbent Roger Hauck is seeking reelection.  Rhonda Lange is also seeking the R nomination.  Tyler Landgraf is the D nominee.

35. [Saginaw, Bay, Midland] Lean D
47-53 (38-60 in 2024) P16: 47.1 G18: 44.2 AG18: 46.4 P20: 47.6 P24: 48.9
This is another pro-D gerrymander, combining three mid-Michigan seats to make about the best district possible for Ds.  While all cities, Saginaw (blacks), Bay City (white working class), and Midland (upscale Rs) have little in common demographically.  A decade ago, this would have been safe D, but Bay County has moved right. Turnout in Saginaw and candidate quality have long been a problem for Ds.  Incredibly, despite D dominance of Saginaw County, Rs held its state senate district between 1990 and 2022.
Kristen McDonald Rivet (D) won a narrow victory in 2022.  She then was elected to congress in 2024.  This seat sat vacant for 16 months, as Governor Gretchen Whitmer refused to call a special election.  When it was finally held in May 2024, fire captain Chedrick Greene (D) defeated Jason Tunney 60-38.  Greene is seeking reelection this year.  Jason Tunney faces Chadwick Twillman for the R nomination in August.

36. [NE Lower Peninsula] Safe R
66-34 P16: 65 G18: 59 AG18: 63 P20: 67 P24: 68
Conservative incumbent Michele Hoitenga is seeking reelection.  Mark Yonkman is the D nominee.

37. [NW Lower Peninsula] Safe R
55-43 P16: 56 G18: 52 AG18: 55 P20: 55 P24: 55
Incumbent John Damoose is seeking reelection.  Kate Gallup and Mitchell Treadwell are seeking the D nomination.

38. [Upper Peninsula] Safe R
62-37 P16: 56 G18: 51 AG18: 53 P20: 57 P24: 59
Incumbent Ed McBroom is term limited.  Conservative former state rep (16-22) Beau LaFave faces his successor, state rep (22-26) David Prestin for the R nomination.  The D nominee will be Kelli Van Ginhoven.  Former state rep (16-22) Sara Cambensy (D) is running as an independent.

Summary of Ratings:
Safe D: 17 (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 14, 15, 19, 21, 27, 28, 29)
Lean D: 1 (35)
Tossup: 4 (9, 12, 13, 30)
Lean R: 1 (32)
Safe R: 15 (16, 17, 18, 20, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 31, 33, 34, 36, 37, 38)

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Wednesday, July 01, 2026

July 2026 Judiciary News

Nominations, Hearings, Confirmations:

Red states:  There are still 13 vacant district court seats without nominees in red states (two R senators), including three in Texas, two in OK and LA, and one each in AK, FL, MO, NC, ND, and TN.  

Calendar:  Bloomberg notes that the time to confirm nominations before the end of the year is quickly narrowing.

Calendar: Ed Whelan breaks down the judicial confirmation calendar.

Blue/purple states:  President Trump nominated two judges from blue (Michigan) and purple (Pennsylvania) states.  Both received blue slips from D senators will return blue slips, though this was not clear at the time of their nominations.

Blue Slip:  Michael Fragoso discusses the state of blue slip, and whether compromise is possible between senators and the White House.

Federalist Society:  Although President Trump has criticized the Federalist Society, most of his judicial nominees still have ties to the organization.

Trump nominees:  Michael Fragoso analyzes the qualifications of circuit court nominees in Trump's second term, and how they compare to nominees in his first term, and those of other presidents.

5th Circuit:  Kurt Engelhardt will take senior status.  He was appointed to ED-LA by W in 2001 and to the 5th Circuit by Trump in 2018.  Bloomberg listed several possible candidates for the seat; Anna St. John was later nominated.

ED-PA:  Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) is the first D senator to return a blue slip for a Trump nominee in his second term.  He did so for nominee Antonio “Tony” Pozos, but has not yet decided whether to vote for him.

Nominations:
5th Circuit:  Anna St. John-clerk for Rhesa Barksdale (5th Circuit), Judge (ED-LA), President of the Hamilton Lincoln Law Institute and Center for Class Action Fairness
ND-AL:  Gregory Cook-Judge (Alabama Supreme Court)

The Federal Judiciary:

At the end of the term, the Supreme Court issued rulings in several major cases, including gun ownership for drug users, asylum, refugees, concealed carry, independent agencies, transgender sports, and birthright citizenship.

Supreme Court:  Carrie Severino documents the left's extreme rhetoric against the Supreme Court, and violent threats against the court.

Temporary Judgeships:  Mike Fragoso examines a case concerning the constitutionality of temporary judgeships.

9th Circuit:  Judge Ryan Nelson smashed the glasses of a man in an altercation over a parking space.  He faces misdemeanor charges and a misconduct complaint.

Federal Circuit:  The US Supreme Court rejected a suit against the Federal Circuit's "temporary" suspension of Judge Pauline Newman, age 99, due to alleged disability.  Critics claim she is unable to fulfill her duties, but supporters say she is being mistreated due to her frequent dissents.  The Federal Circuit has suspended Newman for a three straight years.

ND-GA:  The 11th Circuit reprimanded judge Eleanor Ross for having sex in her office during work hours.  Her identity was kept secret in the report, but was later identified due to details in that report.

ED-MI:  Judge Thomas Ludington was sentenced to 6 months probation.  He pled no contest to operating while intoxicated after he crashed his car due to being 'super drunk' last fall.  He also faces  a misconduct complaint.

Vacancy Declarations:  There are now 40 current and future judicial vacancies.  New vacancies over the past two months are listed below.
WD-MO: David Kays (W) 5/11/27 (senior)
ED-WA: Thomas Rice (Obama) 12/26 (senior)
5th Circuit: Kurt Engelhardt (Trump) 12/31/26 (senior)

State Supreme Courts:

Connecticut:  Justice Joan K. Alexander will retire on August 1.  She was appointed by Ned Lamont (D) in 2022.  He nominated Melanie Cradle to replace Alexander.  She was nominated to the Superior Court by Dannel Malloy in 2013 and to the Appellate Court by Lamont in 2020.

Delaware:  Governor Matt Meyer nominated Morgan Zurn to the Delaware Supreme Court.  She clerked for Richard Andrews (D-DE), and has been a judge for the Delaware Court of Chancery since 2018.  Justice Karen Valihura (R) did not seek reappointment, and her term ends on July 25.

Georgia:  Three seats on the Georgia Supreme Court were elected on May 19.  Ben Land was reelected unopposed.  Two conservative incumbents won over D-backed challengers.  The results were
Charlie Bethel 51.2%, Miracle Rankin 48.8%
Sarah Hawkins Warren 61.3%, Jen Jordan 38.7%

Minnesota:  Governor Tim Walz (D) appointed Justice Theodora Gaïtas to replace Chief Justice Natalie Hudson, who will retire on September 30.  Gaïtas was appointed to the court by Walz in 2024.  Walz also appointed Ramsey County District Court Judge Reynaldo Aligada Jr. to replace Gaïtas.

Rhode Island: The Rhode Island Judicial Nominating Commission has selected five finalists for the vacancy created by the retirement of Justice Maureen McKenna Goldberg.  The candidates include former House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi, which has raised controversy about whether he would violate a rule prohibiting legislators from immediately accepting a job with another state agency.  Rhode Island is the only state with lifetime tenure for Supreme Court judges.

Utah:  Utah Supreme Court Chief Justice Matthew Durrant will retire on August 31.  He was appointed to the court in 2000 by Michael Leavitt (R) and became chief in 2012.  Meanwhile, Justice Diana Hagen resigned following allegations of an affair with an attorney with business before the court.  She was appointed to the court by Spencer Cox (R) in 2022.

Utah:  Governor Spencer Cox appointed Jay Jorgensen and Stephen Dent to two new seats on the Utah Supreme Court.  Jorgensen clerked for Samuel Alito (3rd Circuit) and Chief Justice William Rehnquist.  He also worked for Wal-Mart and is currently senior counsel for the LDS church.  Dent clerked for  Robert Shelby (D-UT) and Scott Matheson (10th Circuit).  He is an AUSA (D-UT).  They were chosen from 12 finalists for the positions.

West Virginia:  Two seats on the West Virginia Supreme Court were elected on May 12.  Two recent appointees of Governor Patrick Morrisey were defeated for election.  Gerald Titus lost 26-31 to Kirk Kirkpatrick.  Tom Ewing lost 42-58 to Delegate Bill Flanigan (R).

History:

On Ed Whelan's Substack, "Confirmation Tales", recent posts deal with Barack Obama's Supreme Court nomination of Sonia Sotomayor.
Lame Duck:  Mike Fragoso explains what happened in the 2024 lame duck session, which ended with a deal to confirm district court judges, while leaving open four appeals court seats.

Resources:
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Saturday, June 27, 2026

2026 Michigan Congressional Races

This post was last updated on June 27, 2026.

Michigan's 13 congressional districts are up for election in 2026.  Michigan's congressional map was drawn by Michigan's Independent Redistricting Commission.  The commission drew some poor lines, and skewed districts 3 and 8 to the left in the name of partisan fairness, but also created districts (7 and 10) that are winnable for each side.

Michigan Redistricting: Congressional Map Approved


The map above is from the page at RRH Elections linked below, which also has individual district maps.


Interactive versions of the map are available at Dave's Redistricting and 538.

Michigan Congressional Map-Dave's Redistricting
Michigan Congressional Map-538

There are two open seats (10 and 11).  There will also be several interesting general election races.  Consider the districts in detail.

The election data for each district is the R candidates for 2022 congressional results (R-D), President 2016 (P16), Attorney General 2018 (AG18), Governor 2018 (G18), President 2020 (P20), and President 2024 (P24).  (There was 1-5% of the vote for third party candidates in these races.)

District 1  (Upper Peninsula, northern Lower Peninsula) Safe R
60-37 62-38 P16: 59 G18: 54 AG18: 57 P20: 59 P24: 60
Retired general Jack Bergman was first elected in 2016. He broke a term limits pledge in 2022, and is running again this year.  When he does retire, a troll (below the bridge) candidate may finally win the seat.  Matthew DenOtter and Justin Michal are also seeking the R nomination.  Callie Barr, the 2024 D nominee, faces Kyle Blomquist and Wayne Stiles for the D nomination.

District 2  (West Michigan coast, central MI) Safe R
64-34 65-32 P16: 61 G18: 56 AG18: 59 P20: 63 P24: 64
John Moolenaar was first elected in 2014, and ran here in 2022 after previously representing a district based in Midland.  Ben Ambrose, Jamie Hill, and Clyde Welford are seeking the D nomination.

District 3 (Grand Rapids, north Ottawa, Muskegon) Safe D
42-55 44-54 P16: 46.6 G18: 44.9 AG18: 47.8 P20: 44.8 P24: 45.1
This district was drawn to combine Grand Rapids and its suburbs with Muskegon County, creating a district that would elect democrats.  This is a pro-D gerrymander in the name of "partisan fairness".
Attorney Hillary Scholten (D) won in 2022 after losing by 6% in 2020.  Businessman and Army veteran Ryan Cushman and TV meteorologist Terri DeBoer are seeking the R nomination.

District 4 (Kalamazoo, Battle Creek, Holland) Lean R
54-42 55-43 P16: 51.6 G18: 49.4 AG18: 52.3 P20: 51.1 P24: 51.9
Ottawa county congressman Bill Huizenga ran here in 2022 after first being elected in 2010.  He eventually won the Trump endorsement, and incumbent Fred Upton, who had voted for impeachment, decided to retire.  Ex-Holland Mayor Philip Tanis is also seeking the R nomination on a centrist platform.  The likely D nominee is state senator (18-26) Sean McCann of Kalamazoo.  Diop Harris II is also seeking the D nomination.

District 5 (South-central Michigan, lower tier) Safe R
62-35 66-33 P16: 60 G18: 55 AG18: 58 P20: 61 P24: 63
Republican Tim Walberg has become increasingly entrenched since his comeback in 2010, and he is now the longest-serving house member from Michigan.  Christian Vukasovich, is the D nominee.

District 6 (Washtenaw, plus south and west Wayne) Safe D
34-66 35-62 P16: 37 G18: 35 AG18: 36 P20: 36 P24: 37
In 2014, democrat Debbie Dingell easily replaced her husband John Dingell in Congress after his 58 years (!) in office.  Debbie Dingell moved here from Dearborn, since she represented the bulk of this territory.  Heather Smiley is the R nominee, as in 2024.

District 7 (Ingham, Livingston, Eaton, Clinton, Schiawassee) Tossup
46.3-51.7 50.3-46.6 P16: 48.9 G18: 44.2 AG18: 48 P20: 48.7 P24: 49.8
This is a highly competitive district containing Lansing and surrounding counties.  It contains the core of old 8 (Ingham and Livingston), which was drawn to lean R.  It added lean R areas from old 4 and 7, while losing R (but D-trending) areas in Oakland.  Conservative state senator (18-22) and veteran Tom Barrett was elected in 2024 after losing a close race in 2022.
The D candidates are ex-ambassador Bridget Brink, activist William Lawrence, and veteran Matt Maasdam.

District 8 (Genesee, Saginaw, Bay, Midland) Likely D
43-53 44.6-51.3 P16: 46.9 G18: 42.5 AG18: 45.8 P20: 48.2 P24: 50.2
This district contains Flint and the tri-cities area, in basically the best configuration Ds short of adding Lansing to the district.  This is another example of gerrymandering by the commission.  
State senator (22-24) Kristen McDonald Rivet (D) was elected in 2024, succeeding Dan Kildee.
The R candidates are veteran Amir Hassan, engineer Al Lemmo, and Thomas Smith.

District 9 (The Thumb, N Oakland, N Macomb) Safe R
64-33 67-30 P16: 64 G18: 57 AG18: 60 P20: 64 P24: 66
Self-funding businesswoman Lisa McClain (R) was elected in 2020.  Ray Pooley is the D nominee.

District 10 (S Macomb, Rochester Hills) Lean R
48.8-48.3 51.1-45 P16: 50.4 G18: 44.4 AG18: 46.6 P20: 49.8 P24: 52.2
Congressman John James (R), who was first elected in 2022, is running for governor.  Veteran Michael Bouchard, the son of the Oakland County sheriff, has Trump's endorsement.  Attorney Robert Lulgjuraj, veteran Steffan Demetropoulos, and attorney Justin Kirk are also seeking the R nomination.
Attorney Eric Chung, Pontiac Mayor Tim Greimel, and attorney Christina Hines are seeking the D nomination.

District 11 (Central Oakland) Safe D
39-61 40-58 P16: 41 G18: 38 AG18: 39 P20: 39 P24: 41
Businesswoman Haley Stevens (D), who was first elected in 2018 is running for US Senate.  State senator (18-26) Jeremy Moss is likely the favorite here.  Aisha Farooqi, John Torres, and Don Ufford are also seeking the D nomination.
Ethan Baker will be the R nominee.

District 12 (W Detroit, Southfield, Livonia, Dearborn, Westland) Safe D
26-71 25-70 P16: 25 G18: 22 AG18: 24 P20: 25 P24: 29
This district is about 46% black, and contains a substantial Middle Eastern population.  Rashida Tlaib (D) ran here after previous representing a district based in eastern Detroit since 2018.  Tlaib is a Muslim member of "the squad" who has made national news due to her anti-Semitic remarks and sympathy for Hamas.  Former state rep (06-12) Shanelle Jackson and Byron Nolen are also seeking the D nomination.
James Hooper will be the R nominee, as in 2024.

District 13 (E Detroit, Downriver, Romulus) Safe D
24-71 25-69 P16: 23 G18: 21 AG18: 22 P20: 25 P24: 28
State rep (20-22) Shri Thanedar, a wealthy Indian businessman who moved to north Detroit, won an 11-way primary in 2022.  The local D establishment is unhappy with Thanedar, in part because he isn't black.  They are supporting state rep (22-26) Donavan McKinney against Thanedar this year.
T. P. Nykoriak will be the R nominee this year.
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Thursday, April 30, 2026

May 2026 Judiciary News

Nominations, Hearings, Confirmations:

Red states:  There are still 14 vacant district court seats without nominees in red states (two R senators), including five in Texas, two in OK, and one each in AL, AK, FL, LA, NC, OH, and TN.  

Senate:  Michael Fragoso gives an update on the Senate calendar, arguing that the time to confirm judges this year is rapidly disappearing.

Retirement:  Michael Fragoso argues that conservative judges should retire when there is a good change that a conservative successor can be confirmed.

Nominees:  President Trump has nominated several lawyers who have defended him personally to federal judgeships.  These include Emil Bove (3rd Circuit), Justin Smith (8th Circuit nominee), and Matthew Schwartz (2nd Circuit nominee).

6th Circuit:  President Trump nominated Benjamin Flowers for the 6th Circuit.  He clerked for Sandra Ikuta (9th Circuit) and Justice Scalia.  He was Solicitor General of Ohio 2019-2023.

D-MT:  D senators criticized nominee Katie Smithgall Lane for having a short resume, and the ABA declared her "Not Qualified".  Michael Fragoso argues that their criticisms are misguided.

Nominations:
TBD

The Federal Judiciary:

Trump:  President Trump ranted against the Supreme Court, making several baseless allegations.

5th Circuit:  Judge E. Grady Jolly died on March 16 at age 88.  He was appointed to the 5th Circuit in 1982 by Reagan.  He took senior status in 2017, which he maintained until his death.

WD-TX:  Judge Alan Albright is retiring from WD-TX.  He is not eligible for senior status.  He was controversial due to his handling of patent cases.

ED-MI:  Judge Thomas Ludington pled no contest to operating while intoxicated after he crashed his car due to being 'super drunk' last fall.  He faces sentencing on May 13, and faces a misconduct complaint.

Vacancy Declarations:  There are now 44 current and future judicial vacancies.  New vacancies over the past two months are listed below.
MD-NC: William Osteen Jr. (W) 1/2/27 (senior)
8th Circuit: Ralph Erickson (Trump) TBD (senior)
WD-TX: Alan Albright (Trump) 8/2026 (retired)

State Supreme Courts:

Arkansas:  Two seats were up for election on March 3.
Position 3: Justice Nick Bronni (R) won 55-45 over John Adams.
Position 6: Justice Cody Hiland (R) was unopposed.

Hawaii:  Governor Josh Green nominated Justice Vladimir Devens to be Chief Justice of the Hawaii Supreme Court.  He was appointed to the court by Green in 2024.  He was one of five applicants for the position of Chief Justice vacated by Mark Recktenwald on October 8.  His nomination passed committee 3-2 due to not disclosing his involvement with a political action committee.

Idaho:  Chief Justice G. Richard Bevan, will retire on October 30.  He was appointed by Butch Otter in 2017.  His replacement will be appointed by Brad Little (R).

Kansas:  There are seven applicants for the seat on the Kansas Supreme Court vacated by Chief Justice Marla Luckert.  Governor Laura Kelly (D) will appoint a replacement.

Minnesota:  Chief Justice Natalie Hudson will retire on September 30, ahead of mandatory retirement next year.  She was appointed to the court in 2015 by Mark Dayton, and as chief by Tim Walz (D) in 2023.  Walz will appoint her replacement.

South Carolina:  Justice John Few dropped out of consideration for another term on the South Carolina Supreme Court.  The legislative election scheduled for March 4 was cancelled, and a new election will be scheduled after applications are reopened.  The new election may not be until next year since the South Carolina legislature will be out of session until then.  Former Speaker Jay Lucas appeared to have the most support for the seat.

Washington:  Governor Bob Ferguson (D) appointed Theo Angelis to the Washington Supreme Court.  He works in private practice.  He replaces Justice Barbara Madsen, who will retire on April 3.  

Wisconsin:  On April 7, Appeals Court Judge Chris Taylor (D) defeated Maria Lazar (R) 60-40.  She will fill the seat held by Rebecca Bradley (R), who is retiring.  The court will be 5D-2R.

History:

On Ed Whelan's Substack, "Confirmation Tales", recent posts deal with Barack Obama's Supreme Court nomination of Sonia Sotomayor.
Resources:
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Sunday, March 01, 2026

March 2026 Judiciary News

Nominations, Hearings, Confirmations:

Overview:  Ed Whelan asks four big questions on judicial appointments in 2026, including how many vacancies there will be on the Supreme Court, appeals courts, and district courts.

Overview:  Russell Wheeler gives an overview of Trump's first year of judicial nominations, comparing it with first years of other recent presidents.

Calendar:  Mike Fragoso explains that due to the Senate calendar, any judge who wants to see a successor confirmed this year should retire soon.

Red states:  There are still 18 vacant district court seats without nominees in red states (two R senators), including seven in Texas, two each in FL, LA, OH, and OK, and one each in AL, AK, and TN.  Mike Fragoso argues that the blue slip is not to blame, while Mike Davis argues that some R senators are to blame.

Vacancies:  After several months with no circuit court vacancies, three circuit judges announced that they will take senior status within a week.  They are Chief judge Jeffrey Sutton (6th Circuit), Chief judge Debra Ann Livingston (2nd Circuit), and judge Timothy Tymkovich (10th Circuit).  All three were appointed by W, in 2003, 2007, and 2003, respectively.

8th Circuit:  President Trump nominated Justin Smith for the 8th Circuit.  He was Trump's personal attorney, and also chief of staff to Senator Eric Schmitt.  He would replace Judge Duane Benton, who will take senior status.

Relatives:  President Trump has nominated children of two 8th Circuit judges to district courts.  Megan Benton, nominee for WD-MO, is the daughter of Duane Benton.  John Shepherd, nominee for WD-AR, is the son of Bobby Shepherd.

Nominations:
TBD

The Federal Judiciary:

Supreme Court:  The media reported on a 'study' claiming that the Supreme Court favors the rich over the poor.  The methodology of the study is laughable terrible, as it automatically classifies all government regulations as pro-poor.  It categorizes abortion regulations as anti-rich, and includes several factual errors.

Supreme Court:  The court instituted nondisclosure agreements for Supreme Court employees.  The left is complaining about this without acknowledging the threats and assassination attempt following the leak of the Dobbs abortion opinion.

Science:  The Federal Judicial Center published a Reference Manual on Scientific Evidence that is heavy on climate alarmism.  After protests by West Virginia AG JB McCuskey and others, the climate section was withdrawn.

D-MA:  Judge Mark Wolf retired in November at age 79, claiming that he needed to be able to speak out against President Trump.  However, at that time he was under investigation.  Judge David Barron (1st Circuit) "found “probable cause” to believe the judge engaged in misconduct by creating a hostile workplace for employees".  Interviews with employees provide more details on the allegations.

D-MD:  Judge Lydia Kay Griggsby (D-MD) created an environment that “resulted in an abusive workplace".  She acknowledged this in an order signed by Chief Judge Albert Diaz (4th Circuit).

ED-MI:  Judge Thomas Ludington crashed his car due to being 'super drunk' last fall.  He faces trial on May 8.

Vacancy Declarations:  There are now 46 current and future judicial vacancies.  New vacancies over the past two months are listed below.
WD-WI: James D. Peterson (Obama) TBD (senior)
6th Circuit: Jeffrey Sutton (W) 10/1/26 (senior)
2nd Circuit: Debra Ann Livingston (W) 7/1/26 (senior)
10th Circuit: Timothy Tymkovich (W) TBD (senior)

State Supreme Courts:

Arkansas:  Two seats on the Arkansas Supreme Court are up for election on March 3.  Justices Nick Bronni and Cody Hiland, both appointed by Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders to fill vacancies, are running for each others' seats to avoid a prohibition on appointees running for their own seats.
Position 3: Justice Nick Bronni (R) faces John Adams.
Position 6: Justice Cody Hiland (R) is unopposed.

Colorado:  Governor Jared Polis (D) appointed Susan Blanco to the Colorado Supreme Court.  She became a district judge in January 2017.  She was one of three finalists for the seat.  She replaces justice Melissa Hart, who resigned on January 5, 2026.  

Delaware:  Delaware Supreme Court Justice Karen Valihura (R) will not seek reappointment when her term ends on July 25.  She was appointed in 2014.  Her successor must be a Republican.

Florida:  Governor Ron DeSantis appointed Adam Tanenbaum to the Florida Supreme Court.  Tanenbaum was previously appointed to the 1st District Court of Appeal by DeSantis in 2019.  He replaces justice Charles Canady, who resigned.  There were 10 applicants and 6 finalists for the position.

Illinois:  Justice Mary Jane Theis (D) retired from the Illinois Supreme Court on January 29.  She was appointed to the court in 2010.  The court appointed First District Appellate Court Justice Sanjay Tailor to fill her seat.  He became a judge in 2003 and a circuit judge in 2022.

New Hampshire:  Governor Kelly Ayotte appointed Superior Court Justice Daniel Will to the New Hampshire Supreme Court.  Governor Chris Sununu appointed Will as solicitor general in 2018, and to his current post in 2021.  He was confirmed 4-1 by the Executive Council, over opposition from Executive Councilor David Wheeler (R) due to Will's advocacy for state COVID restrictions.  He  replaces Hantz Marconi, who was age-limited on February 12.

North Dakota:  Governor Kelly Armstrong (R) appointed Mark Friese to the North Dakota Supreme Court.  He works in private practice.  He was one of 12 applicants and 6 finalists for the position.  He replaces Justice Daniel Crothers, who retired on February 28.  

Rhode Island:  Rhode Island Supreme Court Justice Maureen McKenna Goldberg will retire on March 27.  She was appointed by Lincoln Almond (R) in 1997.  Rhode Island is the only state with lifetime tenure for Supreme Court judges.

Tennessee:  Governor Bill Lee (R) appointed appeals court judges Kyle Hixson to the Tennessee Supreme Court.  Lee previously appointed Hixson to the Knox County Criminal Court in 2019 and to the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals in 2022.  He was one of three finalists for the seat of Justice Holly Kirby, who will retire on June 30, 2026.

Texas:  Bloomberg notes that Governor Greg Abbott has appointed three US Supreme Court clerks to the Texas Supreme Court.

Utah:  Governor Spencer Cox signed a bill to add two justices to the Utah Supreme Court.  This expands the court from 5 to 7 justices.  Governor Cox will appoint the new justices.

Vermont:  Governor Phil Scott (R) appointed Christina Nolan and Michael Drescher to the Vermont Supreme Court.  They replace Justices Karen Russell Carroll and William Cohen, who retired.  Nolan clerked for F. Dennis Saylor IV (D-MA) was US Attorney (D-VT) 2017-21 and ran for US Senate in 2022.  Drescher clerked for Fred I. Parker (2nd Circuit) served as an AUSA and interim US Attorney (D-VT).  Drescher's nomination was controversial due to his representation of the Trump administration on immigration cases, and was only confirmed due to LG John Rodgers breaking a tie vote.

Washington:  Justice Barbara Madsen will retire on April 3.  She was first elected to the court in 1993.  Governor Bob Ferguson (D) will appoint her replacement.

Wisconsin:  A seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court is up for election on April 7.  Incumbent Rebecca Bradley (R) is retiring.  The candidates are Appeals Court Judges Chris Taylor (D) and Maria Lazar (R).

History:

On Ed Whelan's Substack, "Confirmation Tales", recent posts deal with George W. Bush's nominations of lower court judges and Barack Obama's nominations.
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