Democrats triumph in Michigan Supreme Court races

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Friday, November 8


** ON THE DOCKET THIS WEEK
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** * Kamala Harris concedes race, calls for ‘peaceful transfer of power’
* Ballot measures: Several states expand abortion access
* Democrats win Michigan Supreme Court races — but lose in Ohio

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** 2024
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** Kamala Harris concedes race, calls for ‘peaceful transfer of power’
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Vice President Kamala Harris conceded the election to former President Donald Trump, imploring dejected Americans to never stop fighting for the nation’s democratic values.

“We must accept the results of this election,” Harris said Wednesday at Howard University. “We will engage in a peaceful transfer of power.”

Harris underscored the importance of respecting and affirming the democratic process. An NBC News exit poll found ([link removed]) that democracy is an important issue for many voters.

“A fundamental principle of American democracy is that when we lose an election, we accept the results,” Harris said, adding that this principle “as much as any other distinguishes democracy from monarchy or tyranny. We will never give up our fight for democracy.”


** DEMOCRACY
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** Ballot measures: Several states expand abortion access
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Over two years since the U.S. Supreme Court gutted ([link removed]) Roe v. Wade, voters in seven states approved ballot measures expanding abortion access and reproductive freedom. Voters in Arizona, Colorado, Maryland, Montana and Nevada approved measures that will enshrine abortion rights into their state constitutions.

The state of Missouri made history as the first state to overturn a total abortion ban since Dobbs, according to the Ballot Initiative Strategy Center (BISC), which tracks ballot measures. Voters on Tuesday approved Amendment 3, which allows for abortion up until fetal viability.

On the democracy front, voters in eight states backed measures prohibiting noncitizen voting, despite it already being illegal for people who aren’t citizens to vote in federal elections. Over the past year Republicans have amplified ([link removed]) their campaign against noncitizen voting, particularly in the leadup to the election. In Ohio, voters rejected ([link removed]) an amendment seeking to remove state and congressional redistricting powers from politicians and transition them to a citizen-led redistricting commission.

The outcome shows how important it’s become for states to codify certain protections into law. “Ballot measures can be one of the last lines of defense to push back against policies that harm our communities, especially those who have been marginalized and attacked like immigrants and trans people,” BISC’s Chris Melody Fields Figueredo said Wednesday.

“As we begin to forge a way forward, ballot measures will be vital in defending against forces that seek to erode our democratic values and the progress we have made.” Read more on the measures that were on the ballot this month ([link removed]) . ([link removed])


** JUDICIARY
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** Democrats win Michigan Supreme Court races — but lose in Ohio
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In state supreme court races, Democrats cinched a 5-2 majority on Michigan’s highest court, but lost seats on Ohio’s high court, which now has just one liberal jurist.

Michigan Justice Kyra Harris Bolden prevailed in her bid to keep her seat against 15th Circuit Court Judge Patrick O’Grady. Bolden became Michigan’s first Black woman justice when Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) appointed her to the court in 2022. The 36-year-old is also the youngest person ever to serve on the court. Read more about why Bolden ran for the court here ([link removed]) . ([link removed])

Another Democratic candidate, University of Michigan law professor Kimberly Ann Thomas, defeated GOP state Rep. Andrew Fink to replace retiring conservative Justice David Viviano.

Newly elected Kentucky Justice Pamela Goodwine became ([link removed]) the first Black woman to sit on the state’s high court. It was a nonpartisan race, but Democrats supported Goodwine’s campaign.

In Ohio, Justice Melody Stewart (D) lost her reelection bid against opponent and fellow Justice Joe Deters, a former prosecutor appointed to the court last year who was seeking a full term. Two other Democrats lost, bringing the court to a 6-1 Republican majority. Stewart made history in 2018 when she became the first Black woman in Ohio to be elected to the state’s high court. Read more about her campaign here ([link removed]) . ([link removed])

At least one race still hangs in the balance. Local outlets report that the race between incumbent Democratic Justice Allison Riggs and GOP opponent Jefferson Griffin is extremely close ([link removed]) and could lead to a recount. The court has a 5-2 conservative majority. Read more about Riggs’ platform and what is at stake in this year’s state supreme court races ([link removed]) . ([link removed])


** OPINION
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** The Fight Continues
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For Marc Elias, the presidential election felt a bit like Déjà vu. He recalls the feeling of dread in 2016 as the realization set in that Trump would win. He also remembers Hillary Clinton’s sobering speech, and reflects on Harris offering a similar call to

action.

“Hillary’s concession speech helped guide me to a worldview that has served me well ever since,” Elias writes. “I will always be an admirer of her tenacity and grit. But in her speech, Kamala spoke to what I value and who I am. We all owe Kamala a lot for her fight and perseverance. But I owe her much more.” Read more here ([link removed]) . ([link removed])


** What We’re Doing
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Like much of the nation, the team is reeling from the election outcome, which ultimately means Republicans will likely control every branch of government. What that will mean for voting rights and democracy remains to be seen. But the fight for democracy continues ([link removed]) . ([link removed])
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