WCDP to present primary candidates for county judgeship and 14th State Senate District

submitted by Jessica Jenks, Washtenaw County Democratic Party

In our ongoing effort to help voters make informed decisions in the upcoming elections, the Washtenaw County Democratic Party (WCDP) will host a Zoom webinar panel discussion on Saturday, June 4, at 9:30am, with candidates vying for the November election ballot slots for judge of the main trial court in Washtenaw County and the state senate seat in the newly drawn 14th district.

Voting for judges matters, as recent events have made clear. But about 25% of those who vote don’t vote for judges on the ballot. The nonpartisan chooseyourjudges.org says that even those who do vote are woefully uninformed: 80% can’t identify any judicial candidates. They make their decisions based on incumbency, party affiliation, or identification with the candidate name — e.g., nationality or gender — rather than the candidates’ stands on issues. Hyperlink: http://chooseyourjudges.org/commentaries/what-information-should-voters-use-when-choosing-judges/

The June 4 webinar features a panel discussion with the two candidates in the August primary for Judge of the 22nd Judicial District Court, the Washtenaw County Trial Court. The candidates who will discuss their positions on major issues and answer participant questions are Marla Linderman Richelew, executive director of the Washtenaw Association for Justice, and Arianne Slay, Deputy City Attorney of the City of Ann Arbor.

Two Democratic candidates for the 14th State Senate district will also take part in the June 4 webinar: Chair of the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners Sue Shink of Ann Arbor and former Jackson City Councilwoman and current program director of America Votes Kelsey Heck Wood of Jackson. We hope that Val Cochran Toops of Jackson, a former member of the Jackson Human Relations Commission, will also attend. The new district includes Chelsea, Dexter, portions of Ann Arbor, and most of Jackson County. Editor’s note: Sharon Township and Bridgewater Township are now in the 14th State Senate District. Manchester Township (including the Village) and Bridgewater are in the 15th State Senate District.

Additional information — including how to submit questions for the candidates, and the Zoom link for the webinar — can be found on the WCDP website at https://www.washtenawdems.org/news/ .

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by Sara Swanson

Sara Swanson is an editor, writer and founder of the Manchester Mirror.