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Michigan Supreme Court elections, 2016
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| 2016 State Judicial Elections |
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| Part 1: Overview |
| Part 2: Supreme Courts |
| Part 3: Partisanship |
| Part 4: Changes in 2016 |
Two seats on the Michigan Supreme Court were on the general election ballot on November 8, 2016. Full terms on the supreme court are eight years long.
Candidates
Viviano's seat■ David Viviano |
Larsen's seat■ Joan Larsen |
Election results
November 8 general election
Incumbent David Viviano defeated Frank S. Szymanski and Doug Dern in the general election for the Michigan Supreme Court, Viviano's seat.
| Michigan Supreme Court, Viviano's Seat, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  David Viviano Incumbent |
67.23% | 2,316,459 | |
| Democratic | Frank S. Szymanski | 23.01% | 792,944 | |
| Natural Law Party of Michigan | Doug Dern | 9.76% | 336,160 | |
| Total Votes (83 of 83 counties: 100%) | 3,445,563 | |||
| Source: Michigan Secretary of State Official Results | ||||
Incumbent Joan Larsen defeated Deborah Thomas and Kerry L. Morgan in the general election for the Michigan Supreme Court, Larsen's seat.
| Michigan Supreme Court, Larsen's Seat, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Joan Larsen Incumbent |
57.62% | 1,940,260 | |
| Democratic | Deborah Thomas | 29.23% | 984,107 | |
| Libertarian | Kerry L. Morgan | 13.15% | 442,781 | |
| Total Votes (84 of 83 counties: 100%) | 3,367,148 | |||
| Source: Michigan Secretary of State Official Results | ||||
Political composition
Michigan's supreme court justices are elected in nonpartisan elections. Justices are listed as nonpartisan on the ballot, though the state Democratic and Republican parties, along with third parties, typically nominate candidates at their state conventions.
■ Chief Justice Robert P. Young, Jr.
■ Justice Stephen Markman
■ Justice Brian Zahra
■ Justice Joan Larsen
■ Justice David Viviano
■ Justice Bridget Mary McCormack
■ Justice Richard Bernstein
Selection
The court's seven justices are chosen in nonpartisan elections for eight-year terms. Though the political affiliations of judicial candidates are not listed on state ballots, most are nominated by either the Democratic or Republican parties. Should a vacancy occur, the governor may appoint a temporary justice for a term lasting until the next general election. The newly appointed justice then must run for re-election to retain the seat.[1]
Qualifications
To be a qualified candidate for the state supreme court, a person must be a qualified elector (registered voter) of the state, must have been licensed to practice law in the state for at least five years, and must be younger than 70 years old, the age of mandatory retirement.[2][1]
Chief justice
Every two years, members of the court elect one of their own to serve as chief justice.[1]
State profile
| Demographic data for Michigan | ||
|---|---|---|
| Michigan | U.S. | |
| Total population: | 9,917,715 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 56,539 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White: | 79% | 73.6% |
| Black/African American: | 14% | 12.6% |
| Asian: | 2.7% | 5.1% |
| Native American: | 0.5% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander: | 0% | 0.2% |
| Two or more: | 2.6% | 3% |
| Hispanic/Latino: | 4.7% | 17.1% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate: | 89.6% | 86.7% |
| College graduation rate: | 26.9% | 29.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income: | $49,576 | $53,889 |
| Persons below poverty level: | 20% | 11.3% |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Michigan. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
Presidential voting pattern
- See also: Presidential voting trends in Michigan
Michigan voted for the Democratic candidate in four out of the seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.
Pivot Counties (2016)
Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012. Collectively, Trump won these Pivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes. Of these 206 counties, 12 are located in Michigan, accounting for 5.83 percent of the total pivot counties.[3]
Pivot Counties (2020)
In 2020, Ballotpedia re-examined the 206 Pivot Counties to view their voting patterns following that year's presidential election. Ballotpedia defined those won by Trump won as Retained Pivot Counties and those won by Joe Biden (D) as Boomerang Pivot Counties. Nationwide, there were 181 Retained Pivot Counties and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties. Michigan had 11 Retained Pivot Counties and one Boomerang Pivot County, accounting for 6.08 and 4.00 of all Retained and Boomerang Pivot Counties, respectively.
More Michigan coverage on Ballotpedia
- Elections in Michigan
- United States congressional delegations from Michigan
- Public policy in Michigan
- Endorsers in Michigan
- Michigan fact checks
- More...
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms 'Michigan Supreme Court election' OR 'Michigan Supreme Court'. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Michigan," accessed October 29, 2014
- ↑ Michigan Secretary of State, "Filing Requirements: Supreme Court Justice, 2016 Election Cycle," accessed July 6, 2016
- ↑ The raw data for this study was provided by Dave Leip of Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.
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Federal courts:
Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Eastern District of Michigan, Western District of Michigan • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Eastern District of Michigan, Western District of Michigan
State courts:
Michigan Supreme Court • Michigan Court of Appeals • Michigan Circuit Court • Michigan Court of Claims • Michigan District Courts • Michigan Municipal Courts • Michigan Probate Courts
State resources:
Courts in Michigan • Michigan judicial elections • Judicial selection in Michigan
