State Rep. Andrew Fink is the first to announce his candidacy to the Michigan Supreme Court.
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Hillsdale College alumnus and state Rep. Andrew Fink announced Sept. 18 that he will run for Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court in 2024.
Fink ’06 is currently serving his second term as a Republican state representative for the 35th District, but said he sees running for the court as a way he can better serve the state of Michigan.
“I see this as a continuation of the service that I’ve been engaged in,” Fink said. “Much of my adult life has been oriented around serving my community, whether it is as a Marine officer, an attorney, or as a state representative. In each, I took an oath to support our Constitution and support our constitutional system, and I see this as a very logical progression.”
Fink is the first candidate to announce he is running for the state supreme court.
Mickey Craig, professor of politics, said he was excited to hear that Fink is running.
“Andrew Fink was an outstanding student at Hillsdale College. He is a brilliant young man of high integrity,” Craig said. “He understands the problems facing our county, our state, and our country. He understands the proper role of a judge in a constitutional republic. He will be a great judge on the supreme court when he wins.”
During his time as a representative, Fink has focused on issues like abortion and education. Fink said he thinks he is a good candidate because of his understanding of the court’s jurisdiction.
“I see the role of the court as being the last protector of the rights of the citizens or the last chance of a citizen to make sure that they’ve received the due process that the Constitution promises,” Fink said.
Fink plans to combine both his practical experience and his judicial principles to protect both the court and the people, he said.
In both 2020 and 2022, Fink won in his district by more than 70% of the vote in the general election.
Jacob Hooper ’22 was Fink’s campaign manager in 2020 and helped with his 2022 campaign. Hooper, who is now attending law school at George Mason University in Virginia, said he is happy to hear Fink is running for the state supreme court.
“During the 2020 primary, our campaign focused on Andrew’s skills as an attorney to ensure he represented the district well. He has done exactly that for the last three years. It’s the natural next step for him to seek a statewide seat at the supreme court,” Hooper said. “Andrew is one of the most principled guys I know. He follows through with his word. He will be an excellent, originalist voice on the bench that our state desperately needs.”
There will be two state supreme court seats up for grabs in November 2024.
One is held by Kyra Harris Bolden, who Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer appointed in November 2022. The other is held by David Viviano ‘94, who was first appointed in 2013 by then-Republican Gov. Rick Snyder. In 2018, Hillsdale alumnus ‘94 Viviano was elected.
Fink said he is looking forward to this new season of campaigning for the court.
“I’m very excited to get around the state to meet people and hear what’s on their minds,” Fink said.
Fink said that as voters consider who they will vote for in November 2024, he hopes they will remember the important role the court plays.
“I think sometimes people underestimate the importance of these judicial elections and how impactful their vote can be,” he said.
“Ensuring that citizens’ rights are protected in the courts is really important and when I think about a successful future for Michigan, that is a big part of that.”
Fink received a politics degree in 2006 from Hillsdale College. After graduating, he worked on the campaign of the now-U.S. House Rep. Tim Walberg. Later, he served in the Marines as a military lawyer in the Judge Advocate General Program. After moving to Hillsdale in 2017, Fink was elected a state representative in 2020.