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Ballot Explained

Appellate courts · November 3, 2026

Who's on the appellate court ballot in Michigan

6 candidates are on the ballot. One ballot can carry several appellate seats, and the note below sets out which contest is which. For each judge: the record, any official performance evaluation, and the arguments published for and against them.

Candidates
6
Sitting judges
2 of 6
On the ballot
No party label
State primary
Aug 4

Candidates appear in ballot order. We do not rank them, score them, or recommend one — here is how this is put together, and here is what the office actually does.

What is on this ballot

Two of the seven seats on the Michigan Supreme Court are on the November 3, 2026 ballot, in a single at-large contest: every voter in the state votes for not more than two candidates, and the two highest vote-getters win. The race appears in the nonpartisan section of the ballot with no party label printed next to any name, which is why no party is listed for any candidate below — but the candidates are nominated by political party conventions, and that fact is recorded for each of them. Six candidates are running. The two incumbents, Chief Justice Megan Cavanagh and Justice Noah Hood, were nominated by the Michigan Democratic Party; Casandra Morse-Bills and Michael Warren were nominated by the Michigan Republican Party; Thomas W. Howe and Jody White were nominated by the U.S. Taxpayers Party. Incumbents are identified as sitting justices on the Michigan ballot. The court is currently 6-1 in favour of justices nominated by Democrats. Michigan also elects Court of Appeals judges on nonpartisan ballots, but those judges run in one of four geographic districts rather than statewide, so which Court of Appeals race a voter sees depends on where they live; those races are not covered here. Roster from the Michigan Secretary of State's certified candidate list as reported by Bridge Michigan and Michigan Public.

6 candidates · ballot order · Megan Kathleen Cavanagh currently holds this seat

Medium confidenceMedium confidenceThe candidate's stated positions and basic record are documented, but coverage is thin — often little independent reporting, or criticism from only one side.What would raise it: More independent reporting, a documented voting record, or published criticism from a named opponent would raise this.

What they say they stand for

Their own words. Claims, not verified facts.

  • Deciding appeals on the record before the court rather than on outside pressure.
  • Access to the courts for people who cannot afford a lawyer.
  • Working relationships between Michigan's state courts and its tribal courts.
  • Administrative reform of the court system through the Michigan Judicial Council.

What they’ve actually done

Documented record from official sources.

  • Justice, Michigan Supreme Court, 2019–present; Chief Justice since 2025, selected unanimously by the other justices.
  • More than fifteen years in appellate practice before her election.
  • Supreme Court liaison to Michigan's tribal courts; member of the Michigan Judicial Council and the State Bar of Michigan Foundation.
  • Nominated for re-election by the Michigan Democratic Party convention.
  • Endorsed by the Michigan AFL-CIO, EMILYs List, the Michigan Association for Justice, Vote Mama, Reproductive Freedom for All, and former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder.

Arguments in favor

We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.

Arguments against

We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.

What we couldn’t verify

  • No published criticism of Cavanagh by name was found. Searched: Michigan Republican Party material, the Morse-Bills and Warren campaign sites, Bridge Michigan, Michigan Public, Michigan Advance and Votebeat election coverage.
  • Michigan does not run an official judicial performance evaluation commission; the State Bar of Michigan publishes no candidate rating for Supreme Court races.
  • No independent analysis of her published opinions was found.
Their campaign site ↗
Sources (4)⌄
  1. 1Have questions about judicial elections? This will help — Michigan Public — michiganpublic.org
  2. 2Megan Cavanagh for Justice — campaign site — cavanaghforjustice.com
  3. 32026 Michigan Supreme Court election — Wikipedia — en.wikipedia.org
  4. 4The ballot is set for Michigan's Nov. 3 election. Here's what's on it — Bridge Michigan — bridgemi.com

What they say they stand for

Their own words. Claims, not verified facts.

  • Applying Michigan statutes and the state constitution as written.
  • Trial-court and appellate experience across criminal and civil dockets.
  • Consistency in criminal sentencing law.
  • Public confidence in the courts.

What they’ve actually done

Documented record from official sources.

  • Justice, Michigan Supreme Court, appointed April 2025.
  • Judge, Michigan Court of Appeals, First District, 2022–2025, appointed by Governor Gretchen Whitmer.
  • Judge, Third Judicial Circuit Court (Wayne County), 2019–2022, hearing felony and specialty-court cases.
  • Assistant United States Attorney in Ohio and Michigan, 2014–2019.
  • Sat on Court of Appeals panels in election-law cases involving gubernatorial candidate Perry Johnson and presidential candidate Cornel West.
  • Nominated for election by the Michigan Democratic Party convention.
  • Endorsed by the Michigan AFL-CIO, the Michigan Association for Justice, Reproductive Freedom for All, and former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder.

Arguments in favor

We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.

Arguments against

We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.

What we couldn’t verify

  • No published criticism of Hood by name was found. Searched: Michigan Republican Party material, the Morse-Bills and Warren campaign sites, Bridge Michigan, Michigan Public and Michigan Advance coverage.
  • Hood joined the Supreme Court in April 2025 and no analysis of his opinions there was found.
  • Michigan does not run an official judicial performance evaluation commission.
Their campaign site ↗
Sources (4)⌄
  1. 1Noah Hood — Wikipedia — en.wikipedia.org
  2. 2Noah Hood for Justice — campaign site — noahhoodforjustice.com
  3. 3Whitmer appoints Noah Hood to Michigan Supreme Court — Michigan Advance — michiganadvance.com
  4. 42026 Michigan Supreme Court election — Wikipedia — en.wikipedia.org

What they say they stand for

Their own words. Claims, not verified facts.

  • Upholding the rule of law as a self-described committed constitutionalist.
  • Protecting the constitutional rights of every citizen.
  • Experience running a rural circuit court docket as a perspective the court lacks.

What they’ve actually done

Documented record from official sources.

  • Judge, 23rd Judicial Circuit Court of Michigan; presiding judge since 2018.
  • Also serves in the Oscoda County district court.
  • Nominated for the Supreme Court by the Michigan Republican Party convention.
  • Endorsed by the Michigan Chamber of Commerce and the Michigan Republican Party.

Arguments in favor

We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.

Arguments against

We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.

What we couldn’t verify

  • No published criticism of Morse-Bills by name was found. Searched: Michigan Democratic Party material, the Cavanagh and Hood campaign sites, Bridge Michigan, Michigan Public and Michigan Advance coverage.
  • No independent analysis of her rulings as a circuit judge was found.
  • Michigan does not run an official judicial performance evaluation commission.
Their campaign site ↗
Sources (3)⌄
  1. 1Have questions about judicial elections? This will help — Michigan Public — michiganpublic.org
  2. 2Casandra Morse-Bills for Justice — campaign site — morsebillsforjustice.com
  3. 32026 Michigan Supreme Court election — Wikipedia — en.wikipedia.org

What they say they stand for

Their own words. Claims, not verified facts.

  • Interpreting the law as written and not legislating from the bench.
  • Trial experience as the qualification for the state's highest court — he says he has more of it than the current court combined.
  • Civic education, a long-standing project of his outside the courtroom.

What they’ve actually done

Documented record from official sources.

  • Judge, Oakland County Circuit Court (6th Circuit), 2002–present.
  • Nominated for the Supreme Court by the Michigan Republican Party convention.
  • Endorsed by the Michigan Republican Party.

Arguments in favor

We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.

Arguments against

We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.

What we couldn’t verify

  • No published criticism of Warren by name was found. Searched: Michigan Democratic Party material, the Cavanagh and Hood campaign sites, Bridge Michigan, Michigan Public and Michigan Advance coverage.
  • His claim to have more trial experience than the entire sitting court could not be independently verified.
  • Michigan does not run an official judicial performance evaluation commission.
Their campaign site ↗
Sources (3)⌄
  1. 1Have questions about judicial elections? This will help — Michigan Public — michiganpublic.org
  2. 2Judge Michael Warren — campaign site — judgemichaelwarren.com
  3. 32026 Michigan Supreme Court election — Wikipedia — en.wikipedia.org

What they say they stand for

Their own words. Claims, not verified facts.

  • Nothing documented in the sources reviewed.

What they’ve actually done

Documented record from official sources.

  • Nominated for the Michigan Supreme Court by the U.S. Taxpayers Party of Michigan convention.
  • Appears on the November 3, 2026 nonpartisan ballot among six candidates for two seats.

Arguments in favor

We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.

Arguments against

We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.

What we couldn’t verify

  • Almost nothing could be established about Howe. No campaign website, biography, legal background or stated positions were found.
  • Searched: the Michigan Secretary of State candidate listing, U.S. Taxpayers Party of Michigan material, Bridge Michigan, Michigan Public, Votebeat and Michigan Advance election coverage.
  • No endorsement of or criticism of Howe by any named organisation was found.
Sources (2)⌄
  1. 12026 Michigan Supreme Court election — Wikipedia — en.wikipedia.org
  2. 2The ballot is set for Michigan's Nov. 3 election. Here's what's on it — Bridge Michigan — bridgemi.com

What they say they stand for

Their own words. Claims, not verified facts.

  • Nothing documented in the sources reviewed.

What they’ve actually done

Documented record from official sources.

  • Nominated for the Michigan Supreme Court by the U.S. Taxpayers Party of Michigan convention.
  • Previously a candidate for the Michigan Senate in District 8.
  • Appears on the November 3, 2026 nonpartisan ballot among six candidates for two seats.

Arguments in favor

We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.

Arguments against

We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.

What we couldn’t verify

  • Almost nothing could be established about White beyond the prior state Senate candidacy. No campaign website, legal background or stated positions were found.
  • Searched: the Michigan Secretary of State candidate listing, U.S. Taxpayers Party of Michigan material, Bridge Michigan, Michigan Public, Votebeat and Michigan Advance election coverage.
  • No endorsement of or criticism of White by any named organisation was found.
Sources (2)⌄
  1. 12026 Michigan Supreme Court election — Wikipedia — en.wikipedia.org
  2. 2The ballot is set for Michigan's Nov. 3 election. Here's what's on it — Bridge Michigan — bridgemi.com

Positions and criticism are quoted from the named sources, not our assessments. This is built to help you start getting informed — confirm the official candidate list with your election authority before you vote.

This is one contest on a longer ballot

A Michigan ballot also carries state legislative districts, county offices, judicial seats and often local questions — and which of them you vote on is decided by your street address, not your city or ZIP code.

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