One Judge’s Story: Election 2000“Because my appointment changed the philosophical balance of the court, I knew when I was appointed that I faced a difficult campaign ahead. However, nothing in my most paranoid ravings prepared me for the sheer viciousness of the election campaign. “Apart from the fact that $1 million became the threshold for a credible Michigan State Supreme court race in 2000, what was even more unprecedented were the huge campaign expenditures made by ‘independent campaigns.’ Apart from the roughly $6 million spent by the six principal candidates, approximately $10-$12 million in expenditures were made by these independent campaigns. “The Democratic Party’s effort, financed almost exclusively by the trial lawyers, began attack ads … in July, more than a month before either of the parties had nominated their candidates. The Republican Party later responded in kind with attack ads directed at the Democratic nominees. Other attack ads were sponsored by non-party affiliated independent campaigns. “Needless to say, no candidate was legally able to direct the activities of these independent efforts, even when we felt that these independent ads were ‘off-message’ or, frankly, damaging to our campaigns. There was more media attention given both in the state of Michigan and nationally to these Supreme Court races than to any other prior Michigan judicial race.” |
