Lisa Babcock for East Lansing Judge

09/26/2022

The State News is consistently a source of good reporting about East Lansing (and not just when it's an article about me 😉 ).

Babcock is running for judge of District Court 54b in East Lansing. 
Coming to terms with her qualifications -- which include prosecuting cases in law school, defending criminal cases, representing tenants and holding multiple positions in District Court -- Babcock said, "My credentials are ...

09/20/2022

Today is National Register to Vote Day!!! Register or check your registration at

09/19/2022

One unbelievably cute baby, neighborhood picnics in Northern Meadows and Shaw Estates, Congressman Clyburn, birthday pie AND cake - a great weekend!

09/18/2022

Happy birthday to the United States Constitution, ratified this day on 1787, and me (who is not *quite* that old)!

08/02/2022

VOTE!

07/15/2022

A quick update: I'm still knocking doors and will have yard signs, because asking people for their vote is important. (And I expect Mr. Martin - or someone else- may start a write-in campaign. This looks like it may be the end of the legal challenges, however.)

From MIRS, the Capitol newsletter:

East Lansing Judicial Candidate Can't Erase First Inaccurate Affidavit

An East Lansing judicial candidate failed to convince a Court of Claims judge that he should be allowed on the 2022 ballot because he rebooted his entire campaign after he screwed up his first affidavit and fixed the underlying problem.

Christopher MARTIN signed a first affidavit of identity in March to be a candidate for the 54B District Court judgeship on March 9 that read he didn't owe the Bureau of Elections any reports or fines. In fact, he owed $125.

He paid the fines later in March. On April 15, he withdrew his candidacy at the clerk's office and then restarted a second campaign with 144 new nominating signatures. Martin said he should be allowed on the November ballot because he essentially restarted his campaign with a clean slate.

Judge Brock SWARTZLE ruled today that Martin is out of luck. The initial error didn't happen in a prior campaign cycle. The campaign reboot not only happened in the same cycle, but on the same day, April 15.

The judge wrote that the new law that requires candidates attest that they don't have any outstanding fines or fees is "minimally burdensome."

"In fact, the state has a website where candidates can verify payment, or candidates can contact the Bureau of Elections before submitting their AOI," Swartzle wrote.

If Martin thinks the law is "unduly harsh," that's an issue "for the Legislature, not this Court," he concluded. Other legislative and judicial candidates tried something similar to what Martin did and they, too, have lost in the courts.

Martin's loss means the only remaining candidate on the Nov. 8 ballot for 54-B District Court is Lisa BABCOCK, the East Lansing City Council member.

07/03/2022

What I Learned From My Dad's Biggest Mistake


Many of you knew my dad, or have heard of him -- maybe in a story I've told about him, or perhaps from his career at the State of Michigan and the Kellogg Foundation. Maybe you served with him on one of the many, many boards and commissions he was part of.

Here's a story you've probably never heard: when he was in high school in Muskegon, he and a buddy "borrowed" a Corvette from the buddy's dad's car dealership, had a few drinks, drove wildly around town, and ended up burying the car in a sand dune after not-quite-making-a-curve on Lakeshore Drive.

That's how he was able to tell the story decades later.

Here's how it might have gone: Teens facing felony charges after stealing car, drunk driving involved. Prosecutor seeks maximum sentence.

This is why I believe in second chances.

Dad did something dumb and destructive. Very dumb and destructive. Something that could have endangered his life and others' lives. I'm not making excuses for that – and I know my grandparents weren’t interested in listening to any excuses. Luckily the car belonged to his buddy’s father, and it was all resolved behind closed doors.

Yet I also know that had he been criminally charged his life would never have been the same – and because he was a social worker, because he was a founder of the Greater Lansing Food Bank, because he championed deinstitutionalization in the Department of Mental Health, because he worked for women’s rights in the workplace, because he believed in rights and opportunities for the disabled, and so much more – so many other lives would never have been the same.

Second chances matter.

I don’t think any of my public defender clients developed a love for navy blue cardigan sweaters and good policy briefing books, but second chances gave them the opportunity to be parents, business owners, and good neighbors.

I’m running to protect the court’s second-chance programs: Veterans Court. Sobriety Court. Domestic Violence Court. Mental Health Court. Each of them have tough standards, but they give participants a chance to learn and to re-set.

My dad got lucky, but I think all of us who knew him were lucky, too. I want others to have the same second chance to make a difference in their lives and others’ lives. Thank you for everything, Dad.

06/15/2022

Well, I guess my campaign for 54B District Court is finally "facebook official!"

05/30/2022

Today we remember the ones who died fighting for our freedom.

05/22/2022

The 59th Annual East Lansing Art Festival will take place May 21-22 in Downtown East Lansing! With more than 170 artists, eight food trucks and two full days of performances and art demonstrations, there’s something for everyone. Join us! Learn more about this year's festival at http://www.elartfest.com/.

04/30/2022