Viviano won't seek reelection to Michigan Supreme Court

Lansing — Michigan Supreme Court Justice David Viviano announced Friday he will not seek reelection to the state's highest court.

The end of his term in December will mark more than a decade as a justice for Viviano, who was appointed by Republican former Gov. Rick Snyder in 2013 and was reelected to the bench in 2014 and 2016.

Viviano said he plans to announce his "future plans" toward the end of the year and said he was grateful for the support he'd received over the years.

"Although I have respectfully disagreed with many of the court’s decisions in recent years, it has been a privilege to participate in the discussion of legal issues of major significance to our state," Viviano said in a statement. "I remain committed to the rule of law, and am optimistic about the future.”

Prior to serving in the Michigan Supreme Court, Viviano served as chief judge for the Macomb County circuit and probate courts.

Viviano is one of three Republican-nominated justices on the Michigan Supreme Court, serving with four Democratic-nominated justices. The state's highest court is technically nonpartisan, but the justices are nominated by political parties at partisan nominating conventions.

The seats occupied by Viviano and Justice Kyra Harris-Bolden, a Democratic-nominated justice and former state representative, will be up for election in November.

Republican state Rep. Andrew Fink of Hillsdale has been running to try to flip the seat of Bolden, who was appointed to bench by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer for a partial term starting Jan. 1, 2023.

Bolden is serving part of the term of former Chief Justice Bridget McCormack, who left the high court late last year to become CEO of the New York-based American Arbitration Association-International Centre for Dispute Resolution.

On Friday, Fink said he will seek to fill Viviano's seat, which would secure him an 8-year term, rather than Bolden's, the winner of which would serve the last four years of McCormack's term.

"Justice Viviano has served this state honorably; his undeniable legal acumen will be missed on the court," Fink said in a statement. "His retirement will leave a vacancy that must be filled by a rule of law judge that will enforce Michigan's laws as written."

eleblanc@detroitnews.com