ANN ARBOR –
Carol Kuhnke won her election for Circuit Court Judge in Washtenaw County, making her the first openly LGBT judge elected by the people in Michigan.
"I am incredibly humbled and honored to have been elected Washtenaw County Circuit Court Judge," said Kuhnke. "I hope that young people in the community will see that they can be whomever and whatever they wish to be regardless of who they love. I also hope that my election takes us closer to full equality."
There were three other races in which openly LGBT candidates ran for office, but none of them won their election bids. Kevin Howley was defeated by incumbent L. Brooks Patterson for Oakland County Executive, Ken Ross lost his bid for Circuit Court Judge in Ingham County, and Todd Heywood lost in his race for a seat on the Lansing Community College Board of Trustees.
Other LGBT judges have or are serving in Michigan, but they either were appointed or did not run as out gay candidates elected, such as Rudy Serra, Frank Arnold and William Baillargeon.
