McCormack, Welch claim victory in Supreme Court race
DETROIT (AP) — Chief Justice Bridget McCormack was coasting to reelection Wednesday to the Michigan Supreme Court, and another Democratic nominee was ahead in the race for a second seat.
McCormack felt comfortable enough to welcome Elizabeth Welch to the court, saying the Grand Rapids-area lawyer will be a “fair, independent and accountable voice.”
If the results hold up, Democratic Party nominees will be in the majority, 4-3, for the first time since 2010.
McCormack had 32% of the vote, followed by Welch at roughly 20%, with 92% of precincts reporting.
The two top finishers win election to the state’s highest court.
Mary Kelly, a former prosecutor who was nominated by the Republican Party, was running third with 17.2%. Brock Swartzle, an appeals court judge and another GOP nominee, was fourth at 14%.
“My colleagues and I look forward to welcoming Justice Welch to the bench and hope that will be in person,” McCormack said, referring to the use of video conferencing during the coronavirus pandemic.
McCormack and Welch ran as a team, appearing in TV ads and on billboards.
Supreme Court candidates don’t have party designations next to their name, but McCormack had the advantage of being listed as a current justice. She also has been praised for leading the statewide court system as chief justice through the pandemic.
Another Judge Hathaway elected after candidate changes name
DETROIT (AP) — It doesn’t hurt to be a Hathaway to become a judge in Wayne County.
Nicholas Hathaway will join his wife as a judge on the Detroit-area Circuit Court after changing his last name to hers last year and narrowly winning election Tuesday.
Hathaway finished second in a four-candidate race for two seats on the court, according to results posted by the county.
He legally changed his name from Nicholas Bobak. He’s married to Dana Hathaway, who has been a judge since 2013.
By blood or by marriage, at least 10 members of the Hathaway family have served as Wayne County judges over the last two decades.
“I changed my name to honor my wife,” Hathaway said before the election, declining further comment.
Mary Beth Kelly, a former state Supreme Court justice, finished first with 27.8% of the vote. Hathaway got 24.88%, just ahead of Chandra Baker who had 24.81%.
Hathaway beat Baker by 621 votes to win the second seat. Each received more than 245,000 votes.
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