Diane Hathaway

Diane Hathaway Pulls Off Upset

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

From the DFP:

Diane Hathaway sprung a stunning upset Tuesday of Clifford Taylor, the conservative chief justice of the Michigan Supreme Court who was the target of a scathing advertising campaign from Democrats.

Hathaway, a Wayne County Circuit Court judge nominated by the Democrats, is the first challenger to unseat an incumbent justice since 1984.

The loss is a devastating blow to the Michigan Republican Party, which was braced for a bad night elsewhere on the ticket but badly wanted to re-elect Taylor, who has been a critical member of the conservative majority that has ruled the court the last decade.

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DFP on Michigan Supreme Court Race: Hathaway vs. Taylor

Matthew L.M. Fletcher1 Comment

From the Detroit Free Press:

The race for a single eight-year term on the Michigan Supreme Court finally began to live up to expectations in the closing weeks of the campaign 2008 election, as relative quiet gave way to a barrage of advertising and accusations.

On one side is Chief Justice Clifford Taylor, a Republican who has been on the court since his appointment by former governor John Engler in 1997. On the other, Wayne County Circuit Judge Diane Hathaway, whose surname is judicially familiar in southeast Michigan but was a second choice for Democrats when the party’s preferred nominee declined to run.

Behind both candidates are well-heeled special interests for whom influence on the Michigan Supreme Court is of great importance. Business is backing Taylor; attorneys, especially plaintiffs lawyers, and unions want Hathaway.

Since losing their majority on the court during the Engler era, Democrats have tried and failed repeatedly to regain control of the high court. Although no incumbent justice has lost an election since 1984, state party officials said early on that beating Taylor was their second highest priority behind carrying Michigan for Barack Obama this year.

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