Study predicts massive spending on Michigan Supreme Court races

With two Michigan Supreme Court justices up for reelection this year, a new study predicts an expensive and ugly campaign season for the candidates and from third party groups with an interest in the outcome of those elections. The Detroit Free Press reports on the findings of a new study by the Brennan Center for Justice:

Michigan ranks third among states in money spent on TV ads for supreme court candidates during 2000-09 — about $11 million.

One-third of that was spent on TV ads in 2008 (remember the sleeping judge ad?), when Democratic-nominated Diane Hathaway ousted Republican-backed Chief Justice Clifford Taylor in a historic upset.

The report ranked the Michigan Chamber of Commerce the nation’s fifth biggest single spender on supreme court campaigns, with at least $3 million in the past decade.

Justice Robert Young, a conservative Republican with close ties to Cliff Taylor, is being targeted for defeat by the Democratic Party and will likely get huge spending on his behalf by the Michigan Chamber of Commerce. Justice Elizabeth Weaver is also a Republican but is running as an independent for her own seat due to a longstanding feud with Young and the other conservative justices on the court.

Though the races are technically non-partisan and party affiliations do not appear on the actual ballot, the candidates are still nominated by the two parties. Both parties have nominating conventions before the end of August, at which time the identity of the challengers for those seats will be known. That leaves about 9 weeks for the interest groups and candidates to raise and spend all that money.