Michigan’s nonpartisan ballot · November 3, 2026
Oakland & Jackson County GOP judicial voter guide for 2026
County Republican endorsements, exact court contests and the other candidates in each covered race for Michigan’s November general election.
Oakland County GOP endorses Lisa Marie Neilson, Jessica Ann Hallmark, Michael Sawicky and Carmen J. DeFranco. Jackson County GOP endorses Nicole Hughes and Jared L. Hopkins for separate 12th District Court contests. These are county-party endorsements; the judicial races appear on the nonpartisan ballot. See the party and official sources.
Oakland County
Oakland County judicial endorsements
Circuit and probate court are separate contests. The 47th and 51st district courts serve local jurisdictions within Oakland County.
The Oakland County Republican Party links to its 2026 slate, which identifies these four court candidates as GOP-endorsed. Party source and Oakland candidate fields checked October 10, 2026.
| Court and contest | County GOP-endorsed | Also on the ballot |
|---|---|---|
| 6th Circuit CourtOakland County · nonincumbent position | Lisa Marie Neilson | Victoria King |
| Oakland County Probate CourtNonincumbent position | Jessica Ann Hallmark | Elisabeth Dery |
| 47th District CourtFarmington & Farmington Hills · nonincumbent position | Michael Sawicky | Moneka Sanford |
| 51st District CourtWaterford · nonincumbent position | Carmen J. DeFranco | Pamela J. Monville |
Full active fields: Michigan Department of State’s November candidate listing. Check your sample ballot for the contests and voting instructions that apply to you.
The 47th District Court serves Farmington and Farmington Hills; the 51st District Court serves Waterford. These are local district-court races, not additional countywide contests.
Oakland courts in the atlasIs Lisa Marie Neilson a Republican or Democrat?
Lisa Marie Neilson is endorsed by the Oakland County Republican Party for the 6th Circuit Court, according to the party’s 2026 slate. She faces Victoria King in the November 3 nonincumbent-position contest. The judicial race is nonpartisan; the county-party endorsement does not establish Neilson’s personal party affiliation.
Other reported endorsements: Neilson’s campaign website reports support from Michael Bouchard and the Michigan Association for Justice. These are campaign-reported endorsements, checked October 10, 2026; the county GOP endorsement is separately documented on the party’s own slate.
Is Jessica Ann Hallmark a Republican or Democrat?
Jessica Ann Hallmark is endorsed by the Oakland County Republican Party for Oakland County Probate Court, according to the party’s 2026 slate. She faces Elisabeth Dery in the November 3 nonincumbent-position contest. The judicial race is nonpartisan; the county-party endorsement does not establish Hallmark’s personal party affiliation.
Other reported endorsements: Hallmark’s campaign endorsement list names Michael Bouchard, Bricklayers & Allied Craftworkers Local 2 of Michigan and Teamsters Local 1038. This campaign-published list was checked October 10, 2026.
Is Elisabeth Dery a Republican or Democrat?
Elisabeth Dery is endorsed by the Oakland County Democratic Party for Oakland County Probate Court. The party’s 2026 endorsement list names her, and her campaign endorsement page lists the party’s support. Both were checked October 10, 2026.
She faces county GOP-endorsed Jessica Ann Hallmark in the November 3 nonincumbent-position contest. The race appears on the nonpartisan ballot. These sources document the party’s endorsement; they do not establish Dery’s personal party affiliation.
Jackson County
Jackson County judicial endorsements
The court name is the same. The incumbent and nonincumbent positions are distinct races.
The Jackson County Republican Party homepage displays an endorsement graphic naming Hughes and Hopkins. The graphic is undated; its presence on the current party site and the state candidate fields were checked October 2, 2026.
| Court and contest | County GOP-endorsed | Also on the ballot |
|---|---|---|
| 12th District CourtIncumbent position | Nicole HughesIncumbent | George D. Lyons |
| 12th District CourtNonincumbent position | Jared L. Hopkins | Stormie Rae McGee |
Nicole Hughes and Jared L. Hopkins are in separate contests
Hughes faces George D. Lyons in the incumbent-position race. Hopkins faces Stormie Rae McGee in the nonincumbent-position race. The official November listing supplies the distinction that the party graphic leaves unstated.
Reading the ballot
Party endorsements and the nonpartisan ballot
Does a straight-party vote include judges?
No. The Michigan Department of State’s voting FAQ explains that a straight-ticket selection does not automatically select candidates in the nonpartisan section. Make any judicial selections separately and follow the instructions printed for each contest.
Which judicial races appear on my ballot?
Your address determines your ballot. This guide covers the local contests supported by the county-party sources linked above; it is not a complete list of every judicial race in either county. Use the Michigan Voter Information Center or your local clerk to confirm your sample ballot. For statewide races, continue to the atlas’s Michigan Supreme Court section.
Update record
How this guide changed after the August primary
This page was first published August 3, 2026 as an Oakland and Jackson judicial voter-guide clarification. A September archive notice marked its primary-era context. The October 2 revision replaces the August voting instructions and candidate fields with November general-election information.
The October 2 update added DeFranco and Hopkins, linked directly to the county-party sources, and distinguished Jackson’s two 12th District Court contests. It also replaced the earlier tentative description of the Jackson race with the contests shown in the official November listing.
The October 10 update adds Michael Sawicky and the full 47th District Court contest from the current party slate and state listing. It also adds the sourced answer about Elisabeth Dery and campaign-reported endorsement details for Neilson and Hallmark.
Evidence
Sources and verification
Party sources establish endorsements. Election records establish candidate fields and seat labels. We use the state listing’s full candidate names, including middle names and initials, where party materials shorten them. An endorsement is an organization’s position, not a certification by an election authority or an endorsement by this publication.
- Michigan Department of State: November 3 candidate listingActive candidates, court names, seat types and terms.
- Oakland County GOP: 2026 candidate slateCounty-court endorsements; linked by the official county party website.
- Oakland County Democratic Party: 2026 endorsementsElisabeth Dery’s probate-court endorsement; checked October 10.
- Lisa Neilson campaign, Jessica Ann Hallmark campaign and Elisabeth Dery campaignCampaign-reported endorsements; checked October 10.
- Jackson County GOP: endorsement graphicHughes and Hopkins; the current homepage is the source of the graphic.
- Michigan Department of State: voting FAQStraight-ticket voting and the nonpartisan ballot.
Endorsements and official records can change. Oakland candidate and endorsement sources were reviewed October 10; Jackson and the unchanged ballot guidance retain their October 2 review date. Consult the party’s current materials and your official ballot before relying on a saved copy.