3rd Circuit Judge of Circuit Court - Incumbent - 6 Year Terms
November 3, 2026 · Wayne County, Michigan · County · general
How do we calculate vote impact?
Vote impact = representation (how much weight one vote carries here, the smaller the district's population, the higher the representation) + decisiveness (how likely this race is to be close, based on past results and number of candidates).
Representation: Low · 0 out of 100
This district is large for its type, so each vote is a smaller slice of the outcome. About 1,772,259 people live here.
score = 100 × ln(largest population ÷ this district's) ÷ ln(largest ÷ smallest), rounded to 2 decimals = 100 × ln(1,772,259 ÷ 1,772,259) ÷ ln(1,772,259 ÷ 2,133) = 0, comparing counties in MI (grades: 66+ high, 33+ average, otherwise low)
Decisiveness: Unknown
No past results for this contest yet.
Low representation + unknown decisiveness → Below average vote impact.
Some data is missing, so this rating is based on partial information and capped at "High".
This office is responsible for:
- Hearing trials — criminal cases, lawsuits, family, or probate matters, depending on the court
- Ruling on evidence, motions, and sentences
- Applying state law and court procedure fairly in every case
Affected Areas: Public Safety and Crime Control, Housing Affordability, Civil Rights, Impartiality, Legal Competence
Candidates
Bradley L. Cobb
Nonpartisan · Incumbent · declared
Bradley L. Cobb is a Wayne County Third Circuit Court judge assigned to the Criminal Division. He joined the bench in 2022 after 25 years as a Wayne County assistant prosecutor, where he handled trial and supervisory work including violent-crimes, community-prosecution, diversion, and general-trial assignments. He earned his law degree from Wayne State University and a bachelor's degree in accounting from Wright State University.
Records: Civil Rights 2 for
Carla G. Testani
Nonpartisan · Incumbent · declared
Carla G. Testani is a judge in the Family Division's Domestic Relations Section of Michigan's Third Judicial Circuit Court in Wayne County. She joined the court in 2018 after two decades of private family-law practice focused on divorce and custody litigation, mediation, arbitration, and collaborative practice. Testani was a partner at Fausone Bohn and previously practiced at Cummings, McClorey, Davis & Acho. She has served on the Third Circuit Strategic Planning Committee, the Michigan Judges Association Executive Committee, and legal-professional boards. Testani earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan-Dearborn and a law degree from Wayne State University Law School.
Records: Civil Rights 1 for, Legal Competence 3 for, Public Safety and Crime Control 3 for
Chandra W. Baker-Robinson
Nonpartisan · Incumbent · declared
Chandra W. Baker-Robinson is a Wayne County Third Circuit Court judge assigned to the Criminal Division. Elected in 2020, she previously spent nearly 12 years as a Wayne County prosecutor and led the office's arson unit.
Charlene M. Elder
Nonpartisan · Incumbent · declared
Charlene M. Elder is a judge in the Civil Division of Michigan's Third Judicial Circuit Court in Wayne County. Governor Jennifer Granholm appointed her to the court in December 2005. She previously served as a magistrate in Dearborn's 19th District Court and practiced consumer-protection, commercial-transaction, and general-litigation law. Elder earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan and a law degree from the Detroit College of Law.
Records: Civil Rights 2 for, Legal Competence 2 for, Public Safety and Crime Control 1 for
Chris Dingell
Nonpartisan · Incumbent · declared
Chris Dingell is a Wayne County Third Circuit Court judge assigned to the Family Domestic Division, where the court lists him as Christopher D. Dingell. Before joining the court, he represented Michigan Senate District 7 from 1987 through 2002. He earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan and a law degree from Detroit College of Law.
Records: Civil Rights 1 against, Legal Competence 2 for
Christopher M. Blount
Nonpartisan · Incumbent · declared
Christopher M. Blount is a Wayne County Third Circuit Court judge assigned to the Criminal Division. He joined the circuit court in 2022 after serving on Detroit's 36th District Court since 2017; before taking the bench, he practiced criminal defense, probate, and civil litigation.
Cylenthia LaToye Miller
Nonpartisan · Incumbent · declared
Cylenthia LaToye Miller is a judge in the Criminal Division of Michigan's Third Judicial Circuit Court in Wayne County. She joined the Third Circuit in 2019 after serving on Detroit's 36th District Court from 2006 to 2019. Miller founded and presided over Street Outreach Court Detroit, a specialty court that helps people experiencing homelessness resolve certain civil infractions and misdemeanors. Before becoming a judge, she directed the City of Detroit Employment and Training Department and served as an assistant general counsel to the mayor. She previously practiced at Lewis & Munday and Dykema. Miller earned a bachelor's degree in sociology from Wayne State University and a law degree from Michigan State University College of Law.
Records: Civil Rights 4 for, Legal Competence 6 for, Public Safety and Crime Control 3 for
David J. Allen
Nonpartisan · Incumbent · declared
David J. Allen is a Wayne County Third Circuit Court judge serving in the Civil Division and on the Business Court. Appointed to the circuit bench in 2003, he has served in both criminal and civil divisions and received the Michigan Judges Association's Hilda Gage Award in 2023.
Don Knapp
Nonpartisan · Incumbent · declared
Don Knapp is presiding judge of the Criminal Division of Michigan's Third Judicial Circuit Court in Wayne County. He was appointed to the Third Circuit bench in April 2018. Knapp previously served nine years as Livonia city attorney, advising city officials, handling prosecutions and civil litigation, and managing the law department. He also practiced commercial and civil litigation, probate and estate planning, and municipal law at Fausone Bohn LLP, served on the Livonia City Council, worked as a legislative aide, and began his legal career as a Third Circuit research attorney. He earned degrees from the University of Michigan-Dearborn and Detroit College of Law at Michigan State University.
Records: Civil Rights 4 for, Legal Competence 1 for, Public Safety and Crime Control 2 for
Edward J. Joseph
Nonpartisan · Incumbent · declared
Edward J. Joseph is a Civil Division judge of Michigan's Third Judicial Circuit Court in Wayne County. Governor Rick Snyder appointed him in April 2014. Joseph previously spent more than two decades in private practice focused on civil, probate, juvenile, and criminal litigation, served as a special assistant attorney general, and worked as secretary and general counsel at Mercom, Inc. He earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Michigan and a law degree from Wayne State University Law School.
Records: Legal Competence 1 for, Public Safety and Crime Control 3 for
Helal A. Farhat
Nonpartisan · Incumbent · declared
Helal A. Farhat is chief judge pro tem of Michigan's Third Judicial Circuit Court in Wayne County and presiding judge of its Family Division. Governor Gretchen Whitmer appointed him to the court in March 2019. Farhat previously served as a magistrate in Dearborn's 19th District Court and spent 17 years in private practice handling domestic-relations, civil, criminal, and commercial matters. He earned undergraduate and law degrees from Wayne State University.
Records: Civil Rights 1 for, Legal Competence 3 for, 1 against
Margaret M. Van Houten
Nonpartisan · Incumbent · declared
Margaret M. Van Houten is a judge in the Criminal Division of Michigan's Third Judicial Circuit Court in Wayne County. Governor Rick Snyder appointed her to the court in 2012. Before joining the bench, Van Houten practiced law for more than a decade, worked at Evans & Luptak, and clerked for Brian Zahra while he served on the Third Circuit Court and Michigan Court of Appeals. She also served four terms on the Dearborn Heights City Council. Van Houten earned a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Michigan and a law degree from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law.
Records: Civil Rights 4 for, Legal Competence 4 for, 1 against, Public Safety and Crime Control 1 for
Mary Beth Kelly
Nonpartisan · Incumbent · declared
Mary Beth Kelly is a Family-Domestic Division judge of Michigan's Third Judicial Circuit Court in Wayne County. She previously served on the court from 1999 through 2010 and was its first woman chief judge from 2002 through 2007. Kelly served as a Michigan Supreme Court justice from 2011 through September 2015, then returned to private practice at Bodman PLC before returning to the Third Circuit bench. Earlier, she was a commercial-litigation attorney and partner at Dickinson Wright. Kelly earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan-Dearborn and a law degree from Notre Dame Law School.
Records: Civil Rights 1 for, Legal Competence 6 for
Nicole L. Castka
Nonpartisan · Incumbent · declared
Nicole L. Castka is a Wayne County Third Circuit Court judge assigned to the Criminal Division. Appointed in 2025, she previously spent more than two decades as a Detroit criminal-defense lawyer and sole practitioner.
Nicole N. Goodson
Nonpartisan · Incumbent · declared
Nicole N. Goodson is a judge of Michigan's Third Judicial Circuit Court in Wayne County. Governor Gretchen Whitmer appointed her in October 2022, and her service began November 7, 2022. Goodson previously led Legal Aid and Defender Association as president and CEO and represented domestic-violence survivors and Wayne County residents facing homelessness. Her earlier work included positions at The Bingham Law Group, Trott & Trott, Legal Aid and Defender Association, and the UAW-GM Legal Services Plan. She earned undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Detroit and University of Detroit Mercy School of Law.
Records: Civil Rights 3 for, Legal Competence 3 for
Shannon Nicol Walker
Nonpartisan · Incumbent · declared
Shannon Nicol Walker is a judge in the Criminal Division of Michigan's Third Judicial Circuit Court in Wayne County. She joined the court on January 1, 2015, after being elected in 2014. Walker began her legal career as a public defender with Legal Aid and Defender Association and later served as an assistant prosecuting attorney in the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office, including assignments in the Child and Family Abuse Unit and Special Operations and Community Prosecution. She earned a bachelor's degree from Wilberforce University in 1994 and a law degree from Thomas M. Cooley Law School in 2002.
Records: Civil Rights 7 for, Legal Competence 1 for, 1 against, Public Safety and Crime Control 1 for
Election sources
Source: waynecountymi.gov
Source: waynecountymi.gov