On June 30, Michigan Supreme Court Justice Elizabeth Weaver filed to run for re-election as an independent candidate. See this story. She had been elected in 1994 and 2002 as a Republican nominee.
Michigan election law provides that qualified political parties nominate candidates for Justice of the Supreme Court. However, the general election ballot does not show party labels for candidates for that office. In 2010, there are two seats up. Weaver, even though elected as a Republican, has been at odds with the other Republican Justices, and when the Court had to choose a new Chief Justice from among its ranks, Weaver voted for a Democrat to be Chief Justice.
Republicans are expected to nominate someone else for the Weaver seat. It remains to be seen if the Democratic Party state convention will nominate two Democratic candidates, or instead just nominate one Democrat and leave one slot open, thus giving tacit support to Weaver. Thanks to Nicholas Madaj for the link. Weaver does not need a petition to get on the ballot, because she is an incumbent.
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Justice Weaver does not need a petition to get on the ballot *as an independent* because she is an incumbent.
At their state conventions, state parties can nominate as many candidates for Michigan Supreme Court Justice as there are seats open. There are no petitions or primaries for those nominations, either.
Only NPA (No Party Affiliation) candidates would have to file petitions — and that’s where Justice Weaver has the edge on other potential NPA candidates by virtue of her incumbency.
Is Michigan the only State with the MORON party hack nominations BUT the allegedly nonpartisan general election ballots for its State supreme court ???
Result – the Mich Supreme party hacks really attack each other in their party hack opinions/dissents — makes the SCOTUS party hacks look like a peaceful bunch of folks.