Michigan › Kent County › Judge of District Court, 61st District, Incumbent Position
2 candidates are tracked for Judge of District Court, 61st District, Incumbent Position on the November 3, 2026 ballot: Kellen A. Dotson and Angela T. Ross. Candidate information follows official Kent County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.
Nonpartisan; the 61st District Court covers the City of Grand Rapids. Two incumbent judges run unopposed for two seats on the November 3 ballot. Michigan election law (MCL 168.409b) restricts the 'incumbent position' ballot designation to the sitting judge in that seat; this designation is printed on the Kent County Clerk's official candidate list.
Kellen A. Dotson was appointed to the 61st District Court by Governor Gretchen Whitmer in 2023, per Cooley Law School's announcement of his investiture. He previously served as an attorney in the Kent County Office of the Public Defender and as managing attorney with the Hennepin County, Minnesota Public Defender's Office before returning to Grand Rapids. Kellen A. Dotson appears on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Judge of District Court, 61st District, Incumbent Position, per the county clerk's certified candidate list.
Angela T. Ross was appointed to the 61st District Court by Governor Gretchen Whitmer in March 2022 and was reappointed Chief Judge effective January 1, 2026, per the court's own announcement. Before her appointment she was director of enforcement for the City of Grand Rapids and a solo practitioner in family, criminal and business law, per the Grand Rapids Legal News; she earned a Juris Doctor from DePaul University College of Law. Angela T. Ross appears on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Judge of District Court, 61st District, Incumbent Position, per the county clerk's certified candidate list.
