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Brenda Sanders
Brenda Sanders was a judge of the Michigan 36th District Court.
Sanders (Green Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Michigan's 12th Congressional District. She lost in the general election on November 5, 2024.
Biography
Sanders received her undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan in 1980 and her J.D. from the University of Detroit Mercy Law School in 1983.[1]
Career
Before her election to the court, Sanders practiced law in Detroit for 24 years. She specialized in criminal, family, civil litigation and church law. She also previously served as a house counsel for the 36th District Court.[1]
Elections
2024
See also: Michigan's 12th Congressional District election, 2024
Michigan's 12th Congressional District election, 2024 (August 6 Republican primary)
Michigan's 12th Congressional District election, 2024 (August 6 Democratic primary)
General election
General election for U.S. House Michigan District 12
Incumbent Rashida Tlaib defeated James Hooper, Gary Walkowicz, and Brenda Sanders in the general election for U.S. House Michigan District 12 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Rashida Tlaib (D) | 69.7 | 253,354 |
 | James Hooper (R) | 25.4 | 92,490 | |
 | Gary Walkowicz (Working Class Party) | 2.6 | 9,401 | |
 | Brenda Sanders (G) | 2.3 | 8,254 | |
| Total votes: 363,499 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. House Michigan District 12
Incumbent Rashida Tlaib advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Michigan District 12 on August 6, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Rashida Tlaib | 99.9 | 84,138 |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 108 | ||
| Total votes: 84,246 | |||
| = 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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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Royce Kinniebrew (D)
- Ryan Foster (D)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. House Michigan District 12
James Hooper defeated Linda Sawyer in the Republican primary for U.S. House Michigan District 12 on August 6, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | James Hooper | 60.5 | 12,001 |
 | Linda Sawyer | 39.5 | 7,828 | |
| Total votes: 19,829 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Hassan Nehme (R)
- Steven Elliott (R)
Green convention
Green convention for U.S. House Michigan District 12
Brenda Sanders advanced from the Green convention for U.S. House Michigan District 12 on July 27, 2024.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Brenda Sanders (G) |
| ||||
| = 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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Working Class Party convention
Working Class Party convention for U.S. House Michigan District 12
Gary Walkowicz advanced from the Working Class Party convention for U.S. House Michigan District 12 on June 23, 2024.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Gary Walkowicz (Working Class Party) |
| ||||
| = 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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Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Sanders in this election.
2022
See also: Michigan State Senate elections, 2022
General election
General election for Michigan State Senate District 1
Incumbent Erika Geiss defeated Erik Soderquist in the general election for Michigan State Senate District 1 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Erika Geiss (D) | 71.6 | 53,475 |
| Erik Soderquist (R) | 28.4 | 21,243 | ||
| Total votes: 74,718 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Michigan State Senate District 1
The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for Michigan State Senate District 1 on August 2, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Erika Geiss | 32.3 | 6,824 |
| Brenda Sanders | 23.3 | 4,912 | |
 | Frank Liberati | 22.9 | 4,842 | |
| Shellee Brooks | 9.9 | 2,089 | ||
 | Ricardo Moore | 7.9 | 1,673 | |
| Carl Schwartz | 3.7 | 774 | ||
| Total votes: 21,114 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Michigan State Senate District 1
Erik Soderquist advanced from the Republican primary for Michigan State Senate District 1 on August 2, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Erik Soderquist | 100.0 | 7,320 | |
| Total votes: 7,320 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Campaign finance
2014
See also: Michigan judicial elections, 2014
Sanders ran for re-election to the 36th District Court.
General: She was unopposed in the general election on November 4, 2014.
[2]
Campaign themes
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Brenda Sanders did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.
Campaign website
Sanders' campaign website stated the following:
| “ |
...as a Green Party Candidate for the U. S. House of Representatives in the 12th Congressional District, I will advocate for the passage of an Anti-Hate Crime Bill that will prohibit the commission of heinous acts against Black Americans that are specifically motivated because of hate. As a former judge and attorney of almost 40 years, I am running to serve humanity and to sponsor bills, that if passed into law, will provide a better world! |
” |
| —Brenda Sanders' campaign website (2024)[4] | ||
2022
Brenda Sanders did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.
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.
Noteworthy events
Suspension (2010)
The Michigan Judicial Tenure Commission recommended that Sanders be suspended without pay for 21 days because she ran for mayor shortly after her election to the court in 2008 and for soliciting money for her judicial campaign. Michigan judges are prohibited from running for non-judicial office until 12 months after leaving the bench. Sanders said that she was unaware of the prohibition when she filed to run for Detroit mayor.[5][6]
The Michigan Supreme Court ordered Sanders suspended without pay for 21 days commencing in February 2010.[7][8]
Removal from bench (2014)
On September 9, 2014, the Michigan Judicial Tenure Commission filed a complaint against Sanders seeking to suspend her from the bench until a disciplinary hearing was held.[9] The complaint stated that Sanders displayed a "lack of mental fitness," to continue on in her duties as a judge.[10]
According to the complaint, beginning in March 2014, the commission requested that Sanders undergo an independent mental medical examination. Sanders did not go to any of the scheduled appointments. A doctor then issued an opinion on Sanders' mental health condition based on documents, including those written by Sanders, stating that she suffered from psychotic delusions and that she "should not be sitting in judgment of anyone until she is determined to be free of the psychosis that renders her a danger to self and others."[10]
On September 18, 2014, the Michigan Supreme Court suspended Sanders for alleged judicial misconduct and contempt of court in her failure to submit to an independent mental health examination. She was suspended without pay until she could show "cause why she should not be held in contempt for failing to obey the July 17, 2014, order of this Court to cooperate with the independent medical examiner and provide such information as the independent medical examiner shall reasonably request."[11]
Disciplinary hearing
On December 8, 2014, Sanders' disciplinary hearing commenced in the 3rd Circuit Court and was presided over by Judge Michael Sapala. The following day, Sanders announced through her attorney her plans to retire from the bench immediately.[12]
In January 2015, Judge Sapala declared Sanders to be mentally unfit. "Sadly, the evidence clearly proves that (Sanders) is psychotic and clearly seriously mentally ill," stated Sapala. Additionally, "[h]er mental disorders render her unfit to sit as a judge. Her illness prevents her from being able to properly perform judicial duties."[13]
Removal
The final arguments in Sanders' case were heard by the Michigan Judicial Tenure Commission on February 9, 2015.[13] On July 1, the Michigan Supreme Court determined that Sanders be removed from the bench. The order stated, "We accept the determination that the respondent suffers from a mental disability that prevents the performance of her judicial duties."[14]
Sanders responded to the decision via the Detroit News, saying, "The ruling is fraudulent and unfounded. I plan to pursue legal remedies with the Department of Justice and the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The electoral mandate of the people of the city of Detroit has been nullified by the racist regime of the Michigan Supreme Court.”[14]
The formal complaint against Sanders and the Judicial Tenure Commission's decision and recommendation for discipline can be found here. The case summary of the Michigan Supreme Court case can be found here.
See also
2024 Elections
External links
|
Candidate U.S. House Michigan District 12 |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 36th District Court, "Judge Brenda K. Sanders," accessed September 11, 2014
- ↑ Michigan Secretary of State, "2014 Official Michigan Primary Candidate Listing," accessed July 9, 2014
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Brenda Sanders' campaign website, “Meet Brenda,” accessed September 25, 2024
- ↑ Detroit Free Press, "State will suspend two judges for improper conduct in office," January 29, 2010
- ↑ Detroit Free Press, "Detroit judge faces suspension for mayor run," December 22, 2009
- ↑ Detroit Free Press, "2 state judges to be suspended," January 28, 2010
- ↑ Detroit Free Press, "2 judges suspended for misconduct," January 28, 2010
- ↑ The Detroit News.com, "Suspension sought against 36th District Judge Sanders for 'psychotic delusions'," September 10, 2014
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 State of Michigan Before the Michigan Judicial Tenure Commission, "Complaint Against Hon. Brenda K. Sanders, Formal Complaint No. 95," accessed September 11, 2014
- ↑ The Detroit News, "Mich Supreme Court suspends 36th District judge," September 18, 2014
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedretire - ↑ 13.0 13.1 The Detroit Free Press, "Detroit judge deemed too mentally ill to sit on bench," January 7, 2015
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Detroit News, "High Court orders judge’s removal, cites mental illness," July 1, 2015
