When we’ve been out talking with voters over the past few months, one of the things we’ve noticed is how many questions we’ve been asked about Michigan’s Supreme Court races. Four candidates are running for two-open seats this election and the race will determine control of the state’s highest court.
The four candidates, however, will not be on the partisan section of your ballot. Rather, candidates for the Michigan Supreme Court run without party-affiliation. That’s even though they are nominated at GOP and Democratic Party conventions. (Yeah… it’s complicated).
From ultimately determining that the Reproductive Freedom for All ballot question would go before voters in 2022 (it ended up passing and enshrined reproductive rights into the state constitution) to the future of Michigan’s minimum wage (the court ruled this summer over a controversial legislative strategy known as “Adopt and Amend” and the hourly wage will rise), the court’s decisions have a huge amount of influence on our day-to-day lives.
All this week at Michigan Public, we’ve focused on the state Supreme Court races as Morning Edition host Doug Tribou interviewed the four candidates nominated by the Democratic and Republican parties:
- Justice Kyra Harris Boden: Listen here.
- State Representative Andrew Fink: Listen here.
- Professor Kimberly Ann Thomas: Listen here.
- Judge Patrick William O’Grady: Listen here.
Dig deeper: Wondering just why it is that we nominate and elect justices for the Michigan Supreme Court the way we do? University of Michigan Law School Professor Nicholas Bagley joined Stateside this week to explain.
Have a question about the state Supreme Court races? Or, just want to let us know what you want more of (less of?) in the newsletter? We always want to hear from you! Shoot us an email at politics@michiganpublic.org!
Get Caught Up
It’s a close race for Michigan. These factors could decide it for Harrris or Trump.
All this week the crew from NPR’s Morning Edition has been in Michigan to, as NPR’s Majd Al-Waheidi explains, “better understand the key issues shaping voters' decisions from the economy and immigration to abortion and U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East…. as part of our ‘We, The Voters’ series.” Al-Waheidi explores the issues top of mind for Michigan’s swing-state voters. “A September poll by The New York Times and Siena College found that Michigan voters cared most about the economy, followed by abortion and immigration.”
Election workers in Michigan town are anxious after Trump recruits poll watchers
“Election workers faced an unprecedented wave of threats in the last presidential election,” NPR’s Leila Fadel reports. As part of We, The Voters, Fadel asks: “What are poll workers and election clerks in the swing state of Michigan doing to keep voting secure?” Hear what she finds in her story from Michigan this week. Plus, GOP elections clerks are trying to get out the message that voting is safe and secure here in Michigan as voters have already begun to turn in absentee ballots.
What the Vote?: Gen Z and the GOP
Michigan's Ottawa County has historically and consistently voted for Republicans, but recent patterns suggest it's not quite as red as it used to be. That shift, in part, is because of young voters. But Gen Z isn't a monolith. On the latest episode of Michigan Public’s What the Vote?: conversations with young conservatives. We looked at how they are shaping - and being shaped by - today's Republican party.
IJP On The Road
Rick joined The Hill this week for an overview of how the presidential campaigns are faring in Michigan and Zoe joined Detroit PBS’ One Detroit for analysis of the Slotkin/Rogers debate.
What we’re talking about at the dinner table
Trump disparages Detroit: It’s probably not the best idea to insult the hosts who’ve invited you to their party but that’s essentially what former President Donald Trump did on Thursday during his remarks to the Detroit Economic Club. Trump was meant to talk about reviving the auto industry but, as The Detroit Free Press reports “In a long, rambling speech, Trump went on at length about the threat he believes is posed to the U.S. if Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, is elected.” And the quote making headlines across the state: “Our whole country will end up being like Detroit if she's your president. You're going to have a mess on your hands."
Debate 2.0: There were no knockout moments in this week’s hour-long debate between Michigan U.S. Senate candidates Elissa Slotkin and Mike Rogers, but this was just the first round where it seems the two were trying to measure up their opponent. As you know from this week’s It’s Just Politics pod, there were momentary clashes on abortion rights, immigration and China, but it was a pretty civil exchange as these things go. (Slotkin’s tepid attempt to bring Rogers’ Florida residence into the mix barely landed.) But there’s still a second debate coming up Monday night in Detroit. We’ll be watching to see how the candidates have sharpened their arguments to highlight distinctions and maybe create some viral moments that will live on as internet memes and campaign ads. We’ll be sure to bring you up to speed on Debate 2.0 in next week’s newsletter.
Our Anniversary: “Four more years” has been the theme in our household this week. But, we’re not talking about any reelection campaigns. If you’re new to It’s Just Politics, you might not know that, in addition to being co-hosts of the show, we’re also co-hosts in each others’ lives. This week marked four years of marriage and while we haven’t had a proper chance to celebrate yet (such is the life of political journalists with less than a month before a historic election) we did spend our anniversary afternoon together interviewing former Michigan Governors John Engler and Jim Blanchard (romantic, we know…). We’ll bring you the conversation with the two of them in the weeks to come and, in the meantime, are looking forward to celebrating four more years (we’re anti-term limits when it comes to marriage) after the November election.
Yours in political nerdiness,
Rick Pluta & Zoe Clark
Co-hosts, It’s Just Politics
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