The Republican Chief Justice of Michigan's Supreme Court is stepping down.
Elizabeth Clement, 47, did not provide a reason for her retirement, which comes before the expiration of her eight-year term in 2026.
Clement is one of only two justices on the Supreme Court who was appointed by a Republican.
Her resignation will give Governor Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, an opportunity to expand the current 5-1 liberal majority.
“Today, I notified Governor Whitmer I will be stepping down from the Michigan Supreme Court no later than April 30, 2025. Leading our state’s highest court has been an opportunity to continue a proud record of independence, fairness, and commitment to the rule of law. I am thankful to my colleagues for their support and friendship, as well as for their willingness to seek common ground in serving the people of Michigan,” Clement said in a statement.
Whoever Whitmer appoints will need to win a full term in 2026.
Clement began serving as an associate justice in 2017, when she was appointed by Governor Rick Snyder. In 2022, she was unanimously elected Chief Justice by her colleagues.
Despite her Republican affiliation, Clement sometimes sided with the liberal justices. Whitmer praised her for authoring the opinion in a case that expanded LGBT rights, Rouch World v Department of Civil Rights.
“Throughout her distinguished tenure on the Michigan Supreme Court, Chief Justice Clement was an independent minded jurist who upheld the rule of law, protected our constitutional values, and stood strong for the principles of justice," Whitmer said.
"Notably, she cemented equal protections for all Michiganders in state law regardless of who they love when she authored Rouch World v Department of Civil Rights, which held that the state’s Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act prohibited discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.”
The Supreme Court has had a liberal majority since 2020. With Clement stepping down, Whitmer will now appoint her second justice to the bench.
Michigan's Republicans won back control of the state House in November's elections, fracturing Whitmer's Democratic "trifecta."
Clement is joining the nonprofit National Center for State Courts, where she will serve as the group's president.
"Beth is an outstanding generational leader and an ideal President for NCSC to drive innovation and progress in our state courts and justice systems,” said Indiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Loretta Rush, who chaired the search committee for the group's next president.
