(Posted April 24) Now that the April 19 filing deadline has come and gone, there are a lot of candidates running for a lot of offices in Michigan. In fact, over 8,000 of them, more than in any other state in the country, right down to the level of township trustee and local school and library boards.
Among this mix — although the electorate is largely unaware of it — are judges. Michigan is a state that elects its judges, even if we don’t know who they are.
When Michigan voters go to the polls this year, they’ll find 140 judgeships up for grabs throughout the state. It’s not just the two seats on the ballot for the Supreme Court, but also six for the state Court of Appeals, 80 for circuit court, 64 district court judgeships, and 11 on the probate bench. That may seem like a lot, but this is actually a “down” year in quantity — the 140 total is the LOWEST number since 2010.
Which brings us to the question — has the number of female candidates peaked? Well, yes, at least temporarily. The percentage of all woman candidates running this year for the 140 seats is about 34.5%, which is slightly higher than the last two election cycles but not as high as 2010 or 2004. In sum, this is likely to be the sixth-highest numerically (at least 91), and the fourth-highest in percentage terms for female candidates in all of Michigan’s judicial electoral history.
Here’s the recent historical record:
TOTAL JUDICIAL CANDIDATES STATEWIDE
264 (male and female) in 2016; 319 in 2014; 376 in 2012; 240 in 2010; 365 in 2008; 355 in 2006; 269 in 2004; 414 in 2002; 352 in 2000; 246in 1998; 406 in 1996; and 390 in 1994.
TOTAL WOMEN JUDICIAL CANDIDATES
91 (pending Supreme Court nominees chosen later this year) in 2016; 103 in 2014; 111 in 2012; 86 in 2010; 102 in 2008; 100 in 2006; 93 in 2004; 88 in 2002; 91 in 2000; 60 in 1998; 80 in 1996; and 87 in 1994.
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