Victoria King, a Rochester Adams graduate and Oakland County resident of more than 40 years, is running for Circuit Court Judge in the 6th Judicial Circuit. The nonpartisan seat is on the ballot in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election.

King faces Lisa Marie Neilson for the six-year non-incumbent seat.

King, who says she has spent 15 years as a judicial staff attorney at the Oakland County Circuit Court, said in a questionnaire response to Surround Sound News that the timing is right for her candidacy. "I already do the work," she said. "For fifteen years, I have advised the judges of the Oakland County Circuit Court by drafting opinions, advising on motions, and authoring the procedures the court uses every day."

Candidate information

  • Office sought: Circuit Court Judge, 6th Judicial Circuit (non-incumbent seat)
  • Party: Nonpartisan (endorsed by the Oakland County Democratic Party)
  • Residence: Troy, Michigan (more than 28 years)
  • Education: Bachelor of Arts in History and Classics, Hillsdale College (1994); Master of Science in Software Engineering Administration, Central Michigan University (2001); Juris Doctor, Thomas M. Cooley Law School (2010)
  • Admitted to practice: State Bar of Michigan, October 2010
  • Family: Married to David King; three sons

Experience and public service

King told Surround Sound News she has practiced law since 2010, spending most of her career as a judicial staff attorney at the 6th Circuit. She said she has reviewed thousands of motions and observed thousands of jury and bench trials.

Before law school, King worked more than a decade as a quality assurance engineer in information technology. She said that background gave her an analytic discipline that still informs how she reads statutes and assesses records.

She also served as senior counsel at Gordon, Rees, Scully, Mansukhani, LLP from 2021 to 2023, focusing on advanced motions and appellate briefs.

King has held several bar leadership roles. She has served as vice president and director of the Oakland County Bar Association since 2017 and is a trustee and past president of the Oakland County Bar Foundation. She served as a 6th Circuit representative in the State Bar of Michigan Representative Assembly from 2016 to 2019, chairing its Drafting Committee. She also served as treasurer of the Smith Middle School PTO.

On the issues

Courtroom preparedness: King said family court litigants deserve a judge who has read every brief, motion and relevant authority before walking in. She said 21 of 23 Oakland County Circuit Court judges, past, present and visiting, who have endorsed in the race endorsed her.

Access to justice: King identified the cost of pursuing or defending a lawsuit as the greatest obstacle to justice. She said legal aid programs exist for low-income residents but few offer sliding-scale coverage for those who fall in the gap. She said she would continue working with the Oakland County Bar Association and Bar Foundation to develop programs addressing that gap.

Court efficiency: King said improving access to justice requires changes at the courtroom, administrative and outside-entity levels. She called for simplifying procedures, modernizing technology, improving case management and expanding alternative dispute resolution. She said her background in quality assurance and process improvement prepares her to balance access, timeliness and individual rights.

Judicial independence: King said endorsements do not change the role of a judge or her commitment to judicial independence. She said she welcomes support from people with diverse backgrounds and perspectives.

Endorsements

King's campaign website lists endorsements from Oakland County Circuit Court Chief Judge Jeffery S. Matis, retired Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Robert P. Young Jr., Michigan Court of Appeals Judge Colleen A. O'Brien, retired Court of Appeals Judge Amy Ronayne Krause, the Women Lawyers Association of Michigan (Outstanding Rating), the National Association of Social Workers Michigan Chapter, Detroit Pipefitters Local 636 and Sheet Metal Workers' Local 80 Political Action Committee.