Whitmer appoints first Black woman to top court

Kyra Harris Bolden will become the first Black woman to serve on the Michigan Supreme Court, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced Tuesday, choosing a young lawyer who lost a close election just two weeks ago.

Bolden will take the seat of Justice Bridget McCormack, who announced in September that she was resigning by the end of 2022 with six years left in her term.

Bolden “will be bringing a unique perspective that has too long been left out, not only as a Black woman but also as a new mom,” Whitmer said during a news conference at the Supreme Court.

Bolden, 34, is a state lawmaker from the Detroit area who has been a licensed lawyer for only eight years. She was a Democratic nominee for the Supreme Court in the Nov. 8 election but finished third in a race for two seats.

Bolden will join the court in January after her House term expires. Democrats will continue to have a 4-3 majority on the court.