Michigan Chief Justice’s Exit Fortifies Court’s Leftward Swing

The Michigan Supreme Court chief justice’s decision to soon step down will further cement a Democrat-backed majority that’s been in place for four years, as well as a swing to the left that court watchers say has occurred over the better part of a decade.

The pending departure by Elizabeth T. Clement, a Republican-backed justice appointed in 2017, to become president of National Center for State Courts means Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) gets to replace her on a court that Democratic-backed justices currently control 5-2.

“I don’t recall ever seeing a Michigan court that was so dominated by one side,” ...