Despite the fact that only one of them was slated by the Democratic Party, all four gay candidates in the race for an 8th Subcircuit judicial post have decided to stay in one race. All of the candidates filed petitions for both the Gardner and ‘A’ vacancy positions, and once slating is announced, candidates jockey for which seats to seek. Jon Erickson was the only one among the openly gay candidates to receive party slating, and he is running for the Gardner post—Mary Lane Mikva, daughter of former pol Abner Mikva, was also slated and is running for the ‘A’ vacancy.
Sheryl Ann Pethers, the only open lesbian, has stuck with the Gardner vacancy. Erickson and Pethers have no challenges to their petitions. The two other openly gay men running, John Erlich and Jay Paul Deratany, both have objections filed against their petitions. They, too, are running for the Gardner post. If all four remain on the ballot, that means there will be four gay candidates (among others) on the ballot for the one judicial seat.