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Alexandria Taylor

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Alexandria Taylor
Image of Alexandria Taylor
Elections and appointments
Last election

August 6, 2024

Education

Bachelor's

Michigan State University, 2003

Graduate

Eastern Michigan University, 2006

Law

University of Detroit College of Law, 2011

Personal
Birthplace
Farmington Hills, Mich.
Religion
Christian
Profession
Managing attorney
Contact

Alexandria Taylor (Republican Party) ran for election to the U.S. Senate to represent Michigan. She did not appear on the ballot for the Republican primary on August 6, 2024.

Biography

Alexandria Taylor was born in Farmington Hills, Michigan. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University in 2003, a master’s degree from Eastern Michigan University in 2006, and a J.D. from the University of Detroit Mercy College of Law in 2011. Taylor’s career experience includes working as the managing attorney of Taylor Law Firm as an adjunct professor at the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law.[1]

Elections

2024

See also: United States Senate election in Michigan, 2024

General election

General election for U.S. Senate Michigan

The following candidates ran in the general election for U.S. Senate Michigan on November 5, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Elissa Slotkin
Elissa Slotkin (D)
 
48.6
 
2,712,686
Image of Mike Rogers
Mike Rogers (R)
 
48.3
 
2,693,680
Image of Joseph Solis-Mullen
Joseph Solis-Mullen (L) Candidate Connection
 
1.0
 
56,697
Image of Douglas P. Marsh
Douglas P. Marsh (G) Candidate Connection
 
1.0
 
53,978
Image of Dave Stein
Dave Stein (U.S. Taxpayers Party)
 
0.7
 
41,363
Image of Doug Dern
Doug Dern (Natural Law Party)
 
0.3
 
18,779
Image of Valerie Willis
Valerie Willis (U.S. Taxpayers Party) (Write-in)
 
0.0
 
2
James Chapman (R) (Write-in)
 
0.0
 
1
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.0
 
4

Total votes: 5,577,190
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Michigan

Elissa Slotkin defeated Hill Harper in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Michigan on August 6, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Elissa Slotkin
Elissa Slotkin
 
76.3
 
712,791
Image of Hill Harper
Hill Harper
 
23.7
 
221,053

Total votes: 933,844
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. Senate Michigan

Mike Rogers defeated Justin Amash, Sherry O'Donnell, and Sandy Pensler in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate Michigan on August 6, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Mike Rogers
Mike Rogers
 
63.2
 
555,766
Image of Justin Amash
Justin Amash
 
15.6
 
137,565
Image of Sherry O'Donnell
Sherry O'Donnell Candidate Connection
 
12.1
 
106,466
Image of Sandy Pensler
Sandy Pensler
 
9.1
 
79,772

Total votes: 879,569
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Green convention

Green convention for U.S. Senate Michigan

Douglas P. Marsh advanced from the Green convention for U.S. Senate Michigan on June 15, 2024.

Candidate
Image of Douglas P. Marsh
Douglas P. Marsh (G) Candidate Connection

Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Libertarian convention

Libertarian convention for U.S. Senate Michigan

Joseph Solis-Mullen advanced from the Libertarian convention for U.S. Senate Michigan on July 20, 2024.

Candidate
Image of Joseph Solis-Mullen
Joseph Solis-Mullen (L) Candidate Connection

Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Natural Law Party convention

Natural Law Party convention for U.S. Senate Michigan

Doug Dern advanced from the Natural Law Party convention for U.S. Senate Michigan on April 17, 2024.

Candidate
Image of Doug Dern
Doug Dern (Natural Law Party)

Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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U.S. Taxpayers Party convention

U.S. Taxpayers Party convention for U.S. Senate Michigan

Dave Stein advanced from the U.S. Taxpayers Party convention for U.S. Senate Michigan on July 27, 2024.

Candidate
Image of Dave Stein
Dave Stein (U.S. Taxpayers Party)

Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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2020

See also: Municipal elections in Wayne County, Michigan (2020)

General election

General election for Michigan 34th District Court

Lisa Martin defeated Alexandria Taylor in the general election for Michigan 34th District Court on November 3, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Lisa Martin
Lisa Martin (Nonpartisan) Candidate Connection
 
51.8
 
16,331
Image of Alexandria Taylor
Alexandria Taylor (Nonpartisan) Candidate Connection
 
46.8
 
14,733
 Other/Write-in votes
 
1.4
 
434

Total votes: 31,498
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Michigan 34th District Court

Lisa Martin and Alexandria Taylor defeated incumbent David M. Parrott, Robert Coutts, and John Day in the primary for Michigan 34th District Court on August 4, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Lisa Martin
Lisa Martin (Nonpartisan) Candidate Connection
 
27.3
 
4,202
Image of Alexandria Taylor
Alexandria Taylor (Nonpartisan) Candidate Connection
 
24.7
 
3,795
Image of David M. Parrott
David M. Parrott (Nonpartisan) Candidate Connection
 
22.3
 
3,430
Image of Robert Coutts
Robert Coutts (Nonpartisan) Candidate Connection
 
13.9
 
2,144
John Day (Nonpartisan)
 
11.5
 
1,765
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.3
 
51

Total votes: 15,387
(100.00% precincts reporting)
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Endorsements

To view Taylor's endorsements in the 2020 election, please click here.

2018

See also: Michigan House of Representatives elections, 2018

General election

General election for Michigan House of Representatives District 12

Alex Garza defeated Michelle Bailey in the general election for Michigan House of Representatives District 12 on November 6, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Alex Garza
Alex Garza (D) Candidate Connection
 
66.6
 
21,104
Michelle Bailey (R)
 
33.4
 
10,567

Total votes: 31,671
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 12

Alex Garza defeated Alexandria Taylor, Tomeka Boles, and Lauretha Shelton in the Democratic primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 12 on August 7, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Alex Garza
Alex Garza Candidate Connection
 
46.6
 
4,311
Image of Alexandria Taylor
Alexandria Taylor
 
36.3
 
3,358
Tomeka Boles
 
11.1
 
1,031
Lauretha Shelton
 
5.9
 
550

Total votes: 9,250
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 12

Michelle Bailey advanced from the Republican primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 12 on August 7, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
Michelle Bailey
 
100.0
 
3,459

Total votes: 3,459
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Alexandria Taylor did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.

2020

Video for Ballotpedia

Video submitted to Ballotpedia
Released June 25, 2020

Candidate Connection

Alexandria Taylor completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Taylor's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Alexandria J. Taylor graduated from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law in May 2011. Following law school, she worked for a high-profile criminal defense firm in Royal Oak. Through the firm, Alexandria worked as City Attorney to the City of Woodhaven and Allen Park. Prior to that, Alexandria clerked for the Honorable Marilyn Kelly, Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice.

Alexandria completed her undergraduate studies at Michigan State University and also obtained a Master's in Business Administration from Eastern Michigan University. Alexandria completed her law degree at University of Detroit Mercy School of Law.

Alexandria took the leap, opening her own practice in 2015. Taylor Law Firm is a boutique law firm located downtown Detroit. Alexandria's practice philosophy is servant first, leader second. Alexandria is passionate about teaching and mentoring young lawyers and currently is involved in the internship program at Wayne State University. Additionally, Alexandria is an Adjunct Professor at University of Detroit Mercy School of Law teaching the Small Firm Law Firm Program.

Alexandria is a mother of three children (Jackson, Jillian, and Juliana), one dog (Oliver), and passionate about being a voice for justice and upholding the integrity of the judiciary.

  • All of my life experiences have led me to this point. To whom much is known, much is required. I have the integrity, temperament, and experience that is needed to restore faith in our court system.
  • The 34th District Court is mainly a Criminal/Traffic docket. I have dedicated my career to fighting for the Constitutional rights of my clients as a defense attorney and for the community as an assistant city attorney. I have the experience that this court needs.
  • I am running for judge because I have a deep and profound love of the law. Throughout my career, I have held trials across the state. Those experiences shed light on the good and bad within our system. What I love most about the law is its redemptive qualities. This system is full of imperfect people. Part of my career has been dedicated to teaching and molding the next generation of lawyers. This seat isn't about me. I am running for the betterment of our entire system.
I am passionate about education. I believe that education is the foundation of our communities, but more importantly throughout my career; I have witnessed the effects of poor educational systems. There is a direct link between education and the criminal justice system. I firmly believe in investing in education and addressing the root of the problem. I have encountered so many criminal defendants with misapplied talents.

As a parent of 2 school-aged children, I realize that we only get one shot at getting it right, educationally. I grew up in Romulus and am a proud product of our public schools. I have marched and picketed with our teachers as their fight is my fight. No matter what position I hold professionally, supporting education in our district will always be a priority.
I look up to my mother and the example that she set for me. I have had the opportunity to meet some amazing people in my life, but none like her. Even though it has been nearly 5 years since her death, I still remember all that she poured into me. I have a very strong work ethic, but it's because of the foundation that was built in my life. I grew up watching my mother work very hard. In Proverbs 31 it talks about a woman of virtue. If you read this chapter, this woman took care of her family, worked hard to contribute not just to her household, but to her community, and she was a nurturer. This is what I saw growing up. My sister Becky and her husband have 7 children and she was a stay-at-home mom, most of my childhood. Growing up, I saw two parallels: both hard-working mothers and women of virtue.

The epidemy of class and strength. My mother migrated to the North as a young single mother and moved mountains that seemed insurmountable. She landed a job at NBD Bank, now Chase, downtown Detroit. She worked her way up the corporate ladder and became an Executive Officer. She spent 17 years in corporate America when she decided to take a leap of faith and open her own business. She opened Amour Adult Foster Care, a homebased group home for the developmentally delayed. My mother operated group homes in Romulus and Sumpter. When I was in Middle School, my mom wanted to open a business in Romulus. She opened a clothing store, Dynasty Fashions. The name came from the show Dynasty. Even though she ended up closing Dynasty years later, she never saw it as a failure. I was taught that true failure is never trying.

My desire to serve this district on the bench is because of what was poured into me. The passion I have for the law is really a passion for service. Each of us has a duty to serve in some capacity and this is my service.
The qualities that I possess that would make me a successful officeholder is realness. What you see is what you get. The tragedies in my life helped to define who I am. Growing up, my mom always told me that you can't make everyone happy. Far too often, I see people, not just politicians, killing themselves to please everyone. Saying what everyone wants to hear in an effort to be liked. I like me and the woman I have grown into. I have a deep desire to serve others, starting at home and spreading outward. Some won't like my outspoken nature, but to know me is to love me. I am loyal to a fault and I believe that you reap what you sow so I choose to sow goodness into this cold, dark world.
The legacy that I will leave is a legacy of greatness. A legacy that started with my mother. My mom made me believe that I could change the world so that's what I set out to do. Throughout my career working with local high schools, universities, and law schools; I have dedicated my gifts to others. My legacy isn't just with me or my children but with all the lives that I have touched along the way. Losing my parents at such an early point in my journey, showed me that life is truly very short. You only get one shot. So, every day that I am blessed to get up, blessed with breath in my body; that is a day for greatness.
The first historical event in my life was the death of my parents in 2015. The death of my mother almost broke me. She was my best friend. I watched her overcome so much and never mumble a single complain. She was a fierce entrepreneur but had the warmest heart ever. I am the baby of my family. In fact, my sister is 16 years older than me. As an adult, my mom and I had a relationship that is almost indescribable. Growing up, she told me that I could be anything I wanted to be.

In 2014, I was in the midst of an 18-count CSC case with my old boss Todd Flood. I stayed in Lansing during the week and came home on the weekends. I noticed my mom was going to the doctor more than usual, but her and my stepdad were evasive whenever I asked. I found out that she was diagnosed with stage IV Ovarian cancer. That was in May of 2014. In November 2015, a few days after Thanksgiving, I said my final goodbye to her.

Life can deal some breathtaking blows at times. I found myself parentless at 34 years old. For a while, I lived my life bound up in fear. Fearful that something bad would happen. Throughout the healing process, I had to rebuild the pieces. Maybe it wouldn't be like before but that doesn't mean it wouldn't be something beautiful. I had to redefine myself and what I truly wanted.

That is what led me here today. I was fearful to run at first because the idea of politics is frightening. There's something so superficial about the process. Then I heard my mother's words: you can be anything you want to be. After prayer and talks with my family, I decided the time is now. It's not about me. Our country is at a critical time. We're broken. We're divided. We're hurt. And guess what, maybe we can't make this system like it was before, but just like my journey; together, we can make something beautiful.
My first job was at Staples in Westland when I was 16 years old. Back then, you could obtain a valid driver's license at 16. At the time, I had a white Ford Escort and I used to drive myself to work. I stayed there about 6 months and left to work at Office Max, which was across the street. I worked for Office Max in the copy/print center for about a year. I left prior to high school graduation as I was preparing for college at Michigan State University. Even though this was my first "w-2" job, I had worked for years with my parents. My parents were entrepreneurs and owned a clothing store and adult foster care homes. My strong work ethic is from my mother.
One of my favorite books is GirlBoss. As an entrepreneur, I made quite a few mistakes in business. There's no blueprint and at the time, I thought most of them were genius ideas. This book shed light on business, but specifically from a woman's standpoint.
Lol. Oh my goodness, probably something inappropriate that my teenager was playing.
The biggest struggle in my life is that I am so passionate about the law and the injustices in the system, it affects me, and I take it home at times. I consider it a distinct honor to practice law so when I represent a criminal defendant; I am poised, prepared, and powerful. It is disheartening when I see the opposite. I hold myself to a high standard because we are in the unique position to change the trajectory of someone's life forever. So, as a mother of three children - at times the law is a jealous counterpart and it is consuming. While I have not perfected the work-life balance, I strive to do better.
My legal/judicial philosophy is that the law is living and breathing. Throughout my career, the most damaging thing I have witnessed within our judicial system is the "rubberstamp" approach. This rigidity has led to damning effects such as disproportionate sentences and mass incarceration. Every case is different. While I don't believe it is our job to create the law, I do believe that it is the law applied to the individual facts of each case. I have handled nearly 100 felony matters in Third Circuit Court (Wayne County) not even taking into consideration the hundreds of district court cases throughout our state. We need judges that are not only fair but impartial. We need judges from all walks of life because that diversity contributes to the richness of the judiciary. Every case is not the same and every Defendant does not have the same story.
I admire our former Chief Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court, Marilyn Kelly. I had the opportunity to work with her in law school as a Judicial Intern. Despite sitting on the highest court in our state, she was incredibly humble. We had so many talks about her professional journey and it was inspiring. She told me how she didn't come from a political family and how her path to the Supreme Court was more of a grassroots effort. She was so honest and open to pouring into me as a young law student. I admired her strength and dedication to the judiciary. When I passed the Bar Exam in 2011, Justice Kelly swore me in to practice law in front my family, friends, and colleagues.
There is a great debate on the importance of judicial empathy. In my opinion, empathy is a part of being a living, breathing, human being. We are not robots and it is unrealistic to expect that once you put on that sacred robe; your thoughts, feelings, and views as an individual somehow cease to exist. Empathy is merely understanding. There's a difference between understanding and allowing that to affect your judgment/ruling. As an individual, I may understand why a person acted one way or another; however, if the law states that those actions are subject to criminal or civil liability then empathy cannot override the law. It seems that the misconception and divide is that people feel that empathetic judges allow empathy to overrule the law. I don't see it as that. I see it as a natural and humane quality, but one that must be balanced in the judiciary.
I was screened by the Detroit Metropolitan Bar Association, but as of today; those ratings have not been released.
I am running for this seat because I want to be the change that I so desperately desire within our judicial system. Right now, our country is in a deep divide. We need unifiers. We need people to believe in our judicial system and that includes law enforcement. This system will never be perfect because it is a system full of imperfect people, but we can strive for perfection.

Through my law firm, I have spent the past few years working with Wayne State University providing a unique internship experience to students aspiring a career in the law. Changing our system takes more than just me so I am pouring into the next generation of trailblazing lawyers. I am running to not only set an example but to pave the path for them. This seat isn't eve about me. It's about restoring faith in the system as a whole and that is why I am running.
I don't believe that it is important for a judge to have past experience in government or politics; however, I do believe that it is important to have experience practicing law, holding trials, etc. Specific to this race, the 34th District Court docket is mainly criminal and traffic. As a defense attorney, one of the most disappointing things I see is when judges don't come from a background that involves trial practice or criminal law experience. The experience matters. Throughout the last decade, I have handled numerous criminal cases across the state. I have honed my knowledge the Michigan Court Rules and Rules of Evidence. As a judge that will conduct trials, that knowledge is fundamental. A Defendant has a Constitutional right to present a defense and a judicial officer unlearned in trial practice can unintentionally infringe on that right. Once you are elected and on the bench is not the time to learn. You need to come to the table with that experience. It's interesting because none of us would ever consider going to a Cardiologist that never actually practiced that specialty. Why, because experience really does make a difference.
My primary concern about the legal system in Michigan is our rate of incarceration. What I have seen here is that our court appointed system needs a major overhaul. The system is set up to plea. Particularly in Wayne County, if you handle a non-capital felony matter, court-appointed, the fees paid to the attorney are abysmal. There are so many attorneys that primarily handle court appointed cases and from a business perspective; it is inefficient to take these cases to trials because the numbers don't justify it. What ends up happening is that criminal defendants are strongly encouraged to plea despite whether they actually did it or not. When we talk about mass incarceration, this is a multi-faceted problem and to address it, we have to look at some of the foundational issues like our court-appointed counsel system.
The greatest opportunity for our legal system here in Michigan is to set an example for the world. Michigan has such a unique chance as we are very diverse, and our higher courts have set some groundbreaking precedent. Michigan can set the stage to show the world what it looks like to restore faith in the system.

In Michigan I watched some of the protest footage and saw many protests where law enforcement walked hand in hand with the protesters. Specifically, one in Flint. We get it here in Michigan. We understand that injustice to some is injustice to all. Nationally, we have the opportunity to set the stage for the great redemption of our entire legal system. I consider it a deep honor and privilege to even be considered as a part of this movement to come.

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Campaign finance summary


Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.


Alexandria Taylor campaign contribution history
YearOfficeStatusContributionsExpenditures
2024* U.S. Senate MichiganWithdrew primary$26,120 $26,120
2018Michigan House of Representatives District 12Lost primary$18,121 N/A**
Grand total$44,242 $26,120
Sources: OpenSecretsFederal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

See also


External links


Footnotes

  1. Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on June 25, 2020


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