2 candidates are tracked for 8th Circuit Court Judge, Ionia and Montcalm Counties (6-year term) on the November 3, 2026 ballot: Lori J. Shearer and Ed Sternisha. Candidate information follows official Ionia County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.
Michigan › Ionia County › 8th Circuit Court Judge, Ionia and Montcalm Counties (6-year term)
Nonpartisan
Nonpartisan
Two Belding attorneys, Lori J. Shearer, 51, and Ed Sternisha, 57, seek the open seat of Judge Suzanne Kreeger, who is not seeking another term, per The Daily News. Judicial races are nonpartisan on the November ballot.
Trial court judge. A trial judge presides over criminal and civil cases at the first level: bail and pleas, motions, trials, sentencing and civil judgments. Judges are bound by state law and appellate precedent and are barred by judicial conduct rules from campaigning on how they would rule. Most states elect trial judges on a nonpartisan ballot; the term and the courts a judge may sit on vary by state.
This race. Nonpartisan: candidates appear without party labels.
2 candidates are tracked for 8th Circuit Court Judge, Ionia and Montcalm Counties (6-year term) on the November 3, 2026 ballot: Lori J. Shearer and Ed Sternisha. Candidate information follows official Ionia County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.
Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Registration deadlines, early voting dates and mail ballot rules for Michigan are on the Michigan election hub at theballotbrief.com.
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