Michigan intermediate appellate court elections, 2020

2020 State Judicial Elections
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The terms of 11 Michigan Court of Appeals justices expired on January 1, 2021. The 11 seats were up for nonpartisan election on November 3, 2020. A full term on the court is six years.

Election procedure changes in 2020

See also: Changes to election dates, procedures, and administration in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020

Ballotpedia provided comprehensive coverage of how election dates and procedures changed in 2020. While the majority of changes occurred as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, some changes occurred for other reasons.

Michigan modified its absentee/mail-in voting procedures for the November 3, 2020, general election as follows:

• Absentee/mail-in voting: Absentee ballot applications were sent to all registered voters in the general election.

For a full timeline about election modifications made in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, click here.

Candidates and election results

First District Court of Appeals

General election

General election for Michigan 1st District Court of Appeals (3 seats)

Incumbent Karen Fort Hood, incumbent Christopher Murray, and incumbent Anica Letica won election in the general election for Michigan 1st District Court of Appeals on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Karen Fort Hood (Nonpartisan)	37.9	594,032
✔		Christopher Murray (Nonpartisan)	31.8	497,982
✔	Submit photo	Anica Letica (Nonpartisan)	30.3	475,710

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,567,724
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Second District Court of Appeals

General election

General election for Michigan 2nd District Court of Appeals (2 seats)

Incumbent Mark Cavanagh and incumbent Jonathan Tukel won election in the general election for Michigan 2nd District Court of Appeals on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Mark Cavanagh (Nonpartisan)	57.0	838,435
✔		Jonathan Tukel (Nonpartisan)	43.0	632,060

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,470,495
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Third District Court of Appeals

General election

General election for Michigan 3rd District Court of Appeals (2 seats)

Incumbent Jane Markey and incumbent Mark Boonstra won election in the general election for Michigan 3rd District Court of Appeals on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Jane Markey (Nonpartisan)	51.1	733,880
✔	Submit photo	Mark Boonstra (Nonpartisan)	48.9	701,411

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,435,291
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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General election

Special general election for Michigan 3rd District Court of Appeals

Incumbent James Robert Redford won election in the special general election for Michigan 3rd District Court of Appeals on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		James Robert Redford (Nonpartisan)	100.0	817,016

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 817,016
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Fourth District Court of Appeals

General election

General election for Michigan 4th District Court of Appeals (2 seats)

Incumbent Michael J. Kelly and incumbent Amy Ronayne Krause won election in the general election for Michigan 4th District Court of Appeals on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Michael J. Kelly (Nonpartisan)	52.4	738,520
✔	Submit photo	Amy Ronayne Krause (Nonpartisan)	47.6	670,234

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,408,754
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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General election

General election for Michigan 4th District Court of Appeals

Michelle Rick won election in the general election for Michigan 4th District Court of Appeals on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Michelle Rick (Nonpartisan)	100.0	802,117

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 802,117
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Judges not on the ballot

• Patrick Meter

Past elections

2018

See also: Michigan intermediate appellate court elections, 2018

General election

General election for Michigan 1st District Court of Appeals (2 seats)

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Kirsten Frank Kelly (Nonpartisan)	56.1	572,883
✔		Michael Riordan (Nonpartisan)	43.9	447,658

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,020,541
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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General election

Special general election for Michigan 1st District Court of Appeals

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Thomas Cameron (Nonpartisan)	100.0	591,516

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 591,516
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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General election

General election for Michigan 2nd District Court of Appeals (3 seats)

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Kathleen Jansen (Nonpartisan)	34.2	592,091
✔	Submit photo	Elizabeth L. Gleicher (Nonpartisan)	33.0	570,856
✔	Submit photo	Deborah Servitto (Nonpartisan)	32.8	566,771

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,729,718
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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General election

Special general election for Michigan 2nd District Court of Appeals

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jonathan Tukel (Nonpartisan)	100.0	683,743

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 683,743
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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General election

General election for Michigan 3rd District Court of Appeals (2 seats)

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jane M. Beckering (Nonpartisan)	52.1	678,505
✔	Submit photo	Douglas Shapiro (Nonpartisan)	47.9	622,681

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,301,186
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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General election

General election for Michigan 4th District Court of Appeals

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Stephen L. Borrello (Nonpartisan)	100.0	744,970

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 744,970
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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General election

Special general election for Michigan 4th District Court of Appeals

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Brock Swartzle (Nonpartisan)	100.0	730,278

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 730,278
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Click [show] at the right to view more past election results.

2016 Incumbent Cynthia Stephens and incumbent Kurtis Wilder defeated Nicole James in the general election for the Michigan First District Court of Appeals, two seats. Michigan First District Court of Appeals, Two Seats, 2016 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Democratic Cynthia Stephens Incumbent 44.40% 475,106      Unknown Kurtis Wilder Incumbent 33.94% 363,197      Unknown Nicole James 21.66% 231,801 Total Votes (85 of 83 counties: 100%) 1,070,104 Source: Michigan Secretary of State Official Results Incumbent Colleen O'Brien ran unopposed in the general election for the Michigan Second District Court of Appeals, O'Brien's seat. Michigan Second District Court of Appeals, O'Brien's Seat, 2016 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Republican Colleen O'Brien Incumbent (unopposed) 100.00% 747,475 Total Votes (86 of 83 counties: 100%) 747,475 Source: Michigan Secretary of State Official Results Incumbent Joel Hoekstra ran unopposed in the general election for the Michigan Third District Court of Appeals, Hoekstra's seat. Michigan Third District Court of Appeals, Hoekstra's Seat, 2016 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Republican Joel Hoekstra Incumbent (unopposed) 100.00% 660,672 Total Votes (87 of 83 counties: 100%) 660,672 Source: Michigan Secretary of State Official Results Incumbent David Sawyer ran unopposed in the general election for the Michigan Third District Court of Appeals, Sawyer's seat. Michigan Third District Court of Appeals, Sawyer's Seat, 2016 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Republican David Sawyer Incumbent (unopposed) 100.00% 578,634 Total Votes (88 of 83 counties: 100%) 578,634 Source: Michigan Secretary of State Official Results Incumbent Michael Gadola ran unopposed in the general election for the Michigan Fourth District Court of Appeals, Gadola's seat. Michigan Fourth District Court of Appeals, Gadola's Seat, 2016 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Unknown Michael Gadola Incumbent (unopposed) 100.00% 711,641 Total Votes (89 of 83 counties: 100%) 711,641 Source: Michigan Secretary of State Official Results

Selection

See also: Judicial selection in Michigan

The 25 judges of the Michigan Court of Appeals serve six-year terms. Like the Michigan Supreme Court justices, they are chosen in nonpartisan elections and must face re-election if they wish to continue serving. Unlike candidates for the Supreme Court, however, candidates for the Court of Appeals are placed on the general election ballot through nonpartisan primaries or by nominating petitions.

Selection of the chief judge

The Michigan Supreme Court appoints the chief judge of the Michigan Court of Appeals to serve a two-year term.

Vacancies

The process for filling vacancies on the Michigan Court of Appeals is identical to that used by the Michigan Supreme Court. With the assistance of the judicial qualifications committee, the governor names a replacement to serve until the next general election.

Qualifications

To serve on the Michigan Court of Appeals, a judge must:

• be a qualified elector of his or her district;
• be licensed to practice law in the state;
• have at least five years of law practice experience;
• be under the age of 70.

Sitting judges who reach age 70 are allowed to serve the remainder of their term.

See also

Michigan	Judicial Selection	More Courts
Courts in Michigan Michigan Court of Appeals Michigan Supreme Court	Elections: 2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 Gubernatorial appointments Judicial selection in Michigan	Federal courts State courts Local courts

External links

• Search Google News for this topic
• Michigan Court of Appeals

Footnotes

Michigan courts

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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

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