Four candidates are vying for two seats on the Michigan Supreme Court

(CBS DETROIT) — Two seats on the Michigan Supreme Court are up for grabs on Tuesday, November 5th.

Michigan Supreme Court Justice Kyra Harris Bolden, a 2022 appointee of Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, is running against 15th District Court Judge Patrick William O'Grady in the race for a partial four-year term.

Democratic candidate Kimberly Ann Thomas will face Republican Rep. Andrew Fink for a full eight-year term. The winner will fill the seat of Judge David Viviano, who announced in March that he would not seek re-election in the fall. Viviano was appointed by former Gov. Rick Snyder in 2013 and is completing an eight-year term following her 2014 election victory.

While Michigan Supreme Court seats are nonpartisan, candidates are nominated at state party conventions. Democratic justices currently hold a 4-3 majority on the court. Republicans can reach a 4-3 majority if both O'Grady and Fink win.

In recent years, the Michigan Supreme Court has ruled in several important cases, including in July when it reinstated major changes to the law state minimum wage and paid sick leave laws.

The candidates

Bolden is the first black woman to serve on the Michigan Supreme Court. She was appointed by Whitmer to replace Bridget Mary McCormack when McCormack retired in 2022. The 36-year-old earned her law degree from the University of Detroit Mercy and worked in the areas of criminal defense and civil litigation. Bolden served two terms in the State House representing Michigan's 35th District. Her successor in the State House was Fink, who is running against Thomas.

O'Grady has been a judge on the 15th District Court since his first election in 2008. He graduated from Thomas M. Cooley Law School in 1999 and was a Michigan State Police trooper after graduation. He also served in the US Army Reserves. O'Grady was an assistant district attorney in Branch County until he became a district court judge.

Thomas is a law professor at the University of Michigan Law School and directs the Juvenile Justice Clinic, which represents people who cannot afford legal representation. Thomas was a member of the bipartisan Michigan Task Force on Juvenile Justice Reform. She graduated from Harvard Law School. Before joining the faculty at the University of Michigan in 2003, she was a trial attorney for the Defender Association of Philadelphia.

Fink was first elected to the State House in 2020, representing Michigan's 58th District before redistricting in 2022 and being elected to the 35th District. He serves as the Republican Vice Chairman of the Michigan House Judiciary Committee. Fink received his law degree from the University of Michigan and served as a judge advocate for the U.S. Marines.