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.
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.
Michigan › Ionia County › 8th Circuit Court Judge, Ionia and Montcalm Counties (6-year term)
Nonpartisan
Lori J. Shearer is a Belding attorney with more than 25 years of legal experience, per her campaign site. Per the same site she served as an administrative law judge for the Michigan Department of Corrections and as defense counsel for specialty treatment courts through March 2020.
Nonpartisan
Per the campaign site.
Ed Sternisha, 57, is a Belding attorney, per The Daily News. Per his campaign site he is also a police officer who has worked as an adjunct law professor.
Who is running for 8th Circuit Court Judge, Ionia and Montcalm Counties (6-year term) in 2026?
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.
When is the 8th Circuit Court Judge, Ionia and Montcalm Counties (6-year term) election in Michigan?
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.
How do I see my exact Ionia County ballot?
Enter your ZIP code in the lookup at theballotbrief.com for the statewide and congressional races, or a full street address to add the county, city and district contests for that location.
Candidate roster from official Ionia County and state election office filings, last verified October 1, 2026. Bios and priorities carry their attribution inline.
Cross-check with the official Michigan election office, or see the full Ionia County sample ballot and your exact ballot by address.
62 tracked races in Ionia County, Michigan. Landed here from another county's search? Look up your own ballot below.