GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENT
Members of the State Bar of Michigan are hereby notified that the following elections will be held in June 2023:
- Judicial Tenure Commission: A statewide election for one non-judicial member.
- Representative Assembly: Elections for 75 members in 38 judicial circuits.
- Board of Commissioners: Elections for six members in four commissioner districts.
- Young Lawyers Section Executive Council: Elections for 13 members in three districts.
Nominating petitions may be filed no earlier than April 1, 2023, and no later than April 30, 2023. Ballots will be distributed via email no later than June 1, 2023. Online voting ends 11:59 p.m. June 15, 2023. Nominating petitions for all elections are on pages 28 through 32.
The following list includes the seats that will be up for election and incumbent information. Members of the State Bar of Michigan will receive ballots personalized to only the elections for which they are eligible to vote.
JUDICIAL TENURE COMMISSION
Active members will elect one non-judicial member of the Judicial Tenure Commission for a three-year term beginning Jan. 1, 2024, and expiring Dec. 31, 2026. Article 6, Section 30 of the Michigan Constitution provides that three of the commission’s nine members shall be State Bar members elected by the State Bar membership. One of these shall be a judge and two shall not be judges. The seat to be filled by an election in 2023 is to be held by a member who is not a judge.
Any active member of the State Bar who is not a judge may be nominated by petitions bearing at least 50 valid signatures of active members of the Bar. No member may sign a nominating petition for more than one Judicial Tenure Commission candidate. All signatures in violation of this rule will be deemed invalid. It is recommended that candidates obtain at least 75 signatures to ensure they have at least 50 valid signatures after petitions are reviewed and invalid/illegible signatures are removed.
Judicial Tenure Commission nominating petitions are available here.
STATEWIDE – Non-judicial
Elect one.
Incumbent eligible for reelection:
James W. Burdick
REPRESENTATIVE ASSEMBLY
Active members in certain judicial circuits will elect members of the Representative Assembly, including:
- Election to fill Representative Assembly seats for the listed members whose terms expire at the close of the September 2023 meeting.
- Election of members to fill the remainder of terms for vacant seats in the Representative Assembly. The elected members will assume office immediately upon the certification of the election in June 2023 and serve for the remainder of the seat’s unexpired term.
- Election of members to fill the remainder of terms for seats in the Representative Assembly currently filled by an interim appointment. The elected members will assume office immediately upon the certification of the election in June 2023 and serve for the remainder of the seat’s unexpired term.
Active members of the State Bar who have their principal offices within the Representative Assembly circuit may be nominated by petitions bearing five valid signatures of members entitled to vote in the district. No member may sign a nominating petition for more circuit representatives than there are seats to be filled in the circuit. All signatures in violation of this rule will be deemed invalid. It is recommended that candidates obtain at least seven signatures to ensure they have at least five valid signatures after petitions are reviewed and invalid/illegible signatures are removed.
Representative Assembly nominating petitions are available here.
NOTE:
+ Indicates the incumbent is an interim appointment to the Representative Assembly
1ST CIRCUIT – Hillsdale County
Elect one for a one-year term.
2ND CIRCUIT – Berrien County
Elect one for a three-year term.
Incumbent eligible for reelection:
Amber D. Peters
3RD CIRCUIT – Wayne County
Elect eight for three-year terms and one for a two-year term.
Incumbents (7) eligible for reelection:
Ponce D. Clay
Dawn S. Lee-Cotton
Sean Michael Myers
Shanika Amina Owens
Richard M. Soranno
Lisa Whitney Timmons
Kimberley Ann Ward
6TH CIRCUIT – Oakland County
Elect 10 for three-year terms, one for a two-year term, and one for a one-year term.
Incumbents (7) eligible for reelection:
Joshua I. Arnkoff
Colleen H. Burke
Jennifer Ann Cupples
Melissa E. Graves
Tracey L. Lee
Khara Moody +
Brian D. O’Keefe
7TH CIRCUIT – Genesee County
Elect one for a three-year term.
Incumbent eligible for reelection:
Sandra K. Carlson
8TH CIRCUIT – Montcalm and Ionia Counties
Elect one for a three-year term.
9TH CIRCUIT – Kalamazoo County
Elect one for a three-year term and one for a two-year term.
Incumbent eligible for reelection:
Donald L.R. Roberts
10TH CIRCUIT – Saginaw County
Elect two for a three-year term.
Incumbent eligible for reelection:
Jennifer Ann Van Benschoten Jones
11TH CIRCUIT – Alger, Luce, Mackinac, and Schoolcraft Counties
Elect one for a three-year term.
Incumbent eligible for reelection:
Chad William Peltier
12TH CIRCUIT – Baraga, Houghton, and Keweenaw Counties
Elect one for a two-year term.
13TH CIRCUIT – Antrim, Grand Traverse, and Leelanau Counties
Elect two for a two-year term.
16TH CIRCUIT – Macomb County
Elect one for a three-year term and three for two-year terms.
Incumbent eligible for reelection:
Angela Medley
17TH CIRCUIT – Kent County
Elect two for three-year terms, one for a two-year term, and one for a one-year term.
Incumbents (2) eligible for reelection:
Jason W. Johnson
Jonathan Jeffrey Paasch
18TH CIRCUIT – Bay County
Elect two for two-year terms.
19TH CIRCUIT – Benzie and Manistee Counties
Elect one for a three-year term.
Incumbent eligible for reelection:
Lesya Nikolayevna Dull
20TH CIRCUIT – Ottawa County
Elect one for a three-year term.
Incumbent eligible for reelection:
Paul F. Kraus
21ST CIRCUIT – Isabella County
Elect one for a three-year term.
Incumbent eligible for reelection:
Becky J. Bolles
22ND CIRCUIT – Washtenaw County
Elect three for a three-year term.
Incumbent eligible for reelection:
Mark William Jane
24TH CIRCUIT – Sanilac County
Elect one for a three-year term.
Incumbent eligible for reelection:
Matthew Christopher Lozen
25TH CIRCUIT – Marquette County
Elect one for a three-year term and one for a two-year term.
Incumbent eligible for reelection:
Karl A. Weber
26TH CIRCUIT – Alpena and Montmorency Counties
Elect one for a three-year term.
27TH CIRCUIT – Newaygo and Oceana Counties
Elect one for a three-year term.
28TH CIRCUIT – Missaukee and Wexford Counties
Elect one for a three-year term.
29TH CIRCUIT – Clinton and Gratiot Counties
Elect one for a two-year term.
30TH CIRCUIT – Ingham County
Elect two for a three-year term, one for a two-year term, and one for a one-year term.
Incumbents (2) eligible for reelection:
Nicole A. Evans
Nicholas E. Gobbo
31ST CIRCUIT – St. Clair County
Elect one for a two-year term.
36TH CIRCUIT – Van Buren County
Elect one for a two-year term.
37TH CIRCUIT – Calhoun County
Elect one for a two-year term.
38TH CIRCUIT – Monroe County
Elect one for a two-year term and one for a one-year term.
42ND CIRCUIT – Midland County
Elect two for a two-year term.
43RD CIRCUIT – Cass County
Elect one for a two-year term.
45TH CIRCUIT – St. Joseph County
Elect one for a three-year term.
Incumbent eligible for reelection:
Keely Austin Beemer +
48TH CIRCUIT – Allegan County
Elect one for a three-year term.
49TH CIRCUIT – Mecosta and Osceola Counties
Elect one for a three-year term.
50TH CIRCUIT – Chippewa County
Elect one for a two-year term.
54TH CIRCUIT – Tuscola County
Elect one for a three-year term.
55TH CIRCUIT – Clare and Gladwin Counties
Elect one for a one-year term.
Incumbent eligible for reelection:
Michelle Joy Ambrozaitis +
57TH CIRCUIT – Emmett County
Elect one for a two-year term.
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
Active members in certain commissioner districts will elect members of the Board of Commissioners to three-year terms. The terms of the following commissioners of the State Bar will expire at the close of the September meeting of the 2023-2023 Board of Commissioners.
The seats are to be filled by election in June 2023 for terms of three years, commencing at the close of the September meeting of the 2023-2023 Board of Commissioners. Following are the districts in which elections are to be held, the number of seats to be filled, and the names of the incumbents.
Active members of the State Bar who have their principal offices within the commissioner election district may be nominated by petitions bearing five valid signatures of members entitled to vote in the district. No member may sign a nominating petition for more district commissioner candidates than there are seats to be filled in the district. All signatures in violation of this rule will be deemed invalid. It is recommended that candidates obtain at least seven signatures to ensure they have at least five valid signatures after petitions are reviewed and invalid/illegible signatures are removed.
Board of Commissioners nominating petitions are available here.
DISTRICT B – Judicial Circuits 7, 10, 18, 24, 40, 42, 52, and 54
Elect one
Incumbent eligible for reelection:
B. Chris Christenson
DISTRICT E – Judicial Circuits 5, 8, 29, 30, 35, 44, and 56
Elect one
Incumbent eligible for reelection:
Robert A. Easterly
DISTRICT H – Judicial Circuits 3, 38, and 39
Elect two
Incumbents (2) eligible for reelection:
David A. Perkins
Mark A. Wisniewski
DISTRICT I – Judicial Circuit 6
Elect two
Incumbent eligible for reelection:
David C. Anderson
YOUNG LAWYERS SECTION
Members of the Young Lawyers Section will elect members of the executive council. The terms of the following 10 executive council members expire at the close of the Young Lawyers Section Executive Council annual meeting in September 2023 and the two-year terms of executive council members elected in June 2023 begin.
Members of the Young Lawyers Section Executive whose address on file with the State Bar is within the election district may be nominated for the executive council by petitions bearing five valid signatures of members entitled to vote in the district.
No member may sign nominating petitions for more executive council candidates than there are seats to be filled in the district. No member may sign nominating petitions for candidates outside of their district. All signatures in violation of these rules will be deemed invalid. It is recommended that candidates obtain at least seven signatures to ensure they have at least five valid signatures after petitions are reviewed and invalid/illegible signatures are removed.
Young Lawyers Section nominating petitions are available here.
DISTRICT 1 – MACOMB AND WAYNE COUNTIES
Elect five
Incumbents (3) eligible for reelection:
Darnell T. Barton
Fawzeih H. Daher
Aaron J. Hall
DISTRICT 2 – OAKLAND COUNTY
Elect four
Incumbents (1) eligible for reelection:
Jessica D. Warfield
DISTRICT 3 – ALL MICHIGAN COUNTIES EXCEPT MACOMB, OAKLAND, AND WAYNE
Elect four
Incumbents (3) eligible for reelection:
Jacob Eccleston
Breanne M. Neros
Jacqueline P. Olson
