In October 2024, the Supreme Court of Georgia reinstated a 6-week abortion ban after a trail court attempted to strike it down. The ban is still in effect today. Why are reproductive rights moving backwards? Miracle Rankin is running for Georgia Supreme Court to try and rectify that trend.
Rankin joins Jen to explain her campaign and her reputation as a fighter. As she reminds us, only four of the court’s 104 Justices have been African American. For Rankin, in order for the people of Georgia to be served fairly, they need a diverse bench.
To learn more about Rankin’s campaign, click here.
Miracle Rankin is running for the Supreme Court of Georgia. She has been a trial attorney representing victims of catastrophic truck wrecks, medical malpractice, wrongful death, and corporate negligence. Ranking also served as the 40th President of the Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys.
The following transcript has been edited for formatting purposes.
Jen Rubin
Hi, this is Jen Rubin, Editor-in-Chief of The Contrarian. In our effort to keep you up to date on state Supreme Court races—which are going to become increasingly important now that the United States Supreme Court is backing away from federal voting protection—we are delighted to have Miracle Rankin. She is running to replace a right-wing conservative on the Georgia Supreme Court. She is a prominent litigator, and we’re delighted to have her. Welcome!
Miracle Rankin
Thank you so much for having me, Jen. I’m delighted to be here.
Jen Rubin
Thank you. So, why should Justice Charlie Bethel be replaced?
Miracle Rankin
I think it’s important to have a Supreme Court that understands the importance of putting all Georgians first, not just those who have special interests or corporate ties. It’s important that the laws of our state are fair and balanced for all Georgians, and so that’s one of the main reasons that I believe that he should be replaced at this time, because some of the decisions that are coming down that are affecting women, children, and individuals across our state just aren’t putting the everyday Georgian first.
Jen Rubin
You have not been a judge before, but you’ve been a litigator, for years now. Tell us how you think that is a benefit, going on to a state Supreme Court, having that litigation background.
Miracle Rankin
Yeah, I’ve litigated in courts across our state for almost 20 years, and so I understand the complexities of litigation. I do complex, catastrophic litigation work. But before I was a complex litigator, Jen, I started off working in magistrate Court and working my way up. So I’ve literally worked through all the courts in our state, from magistrate up to the appellate court level. So I have that knowledge of what lawyers go through when advancing cases forward in our court system.
I also have the knowledge of what my clients go through, and how a lot of times, going into court is one of the most intimidating things that people experience. And one of the things that makes it better is when you have a jurist who you’re in front of who understands the importance of moving a case socket along, but also being respectful to what the litigants have and the issues that may arise before the court. So, I think the sophisticated knowledge that I have from having practiced almost 20 years in courts from all corners of our state would be a tremendous benefit to the court.
Jen Rubin
Judges get put into slots as conservative or liberal, originalists, there’s all kinds of titles. How would you describe what you think your judicial style would be, or your judicial philosophy would be?
Miracle Rankin
It would be more of a liberal judicial philosophy. I think I would definitely follow the rule of law and the Constitution. Georgia’s Constitution’s really broad, as you may know, so it’s important that we have justices who will actually read the Constitution for the full breadth of protections that it provides the citizens of our state. I also believe it’s important that You understand your justices that are on the court, and the life experiences that they bring with them to the court, because it also helps shape perspectives, and that’s why we have a court that listens, and it’s more than one person, right? Because they’re able to bring in those life experiences along with the rule of law that they’re interpreting.
Jen Rubin
The Supreme Court is going to render a decision in the Calais case, any day now, maybe as late as this summer. And so, there may be a wild push for redistricting. What is your view in general? I don’t want to ask you to comment on a specific case about, what Georgia’s state constitution or what Statutes have to say about protecting minority communities, communities’ ability to elect someone of their choice. Is there grounds in the state constitution that go above and beyond what the Supreme Court may decide as a matter of statute under the Federal Voting Rights Act?
Miracle Rankin
So, Jen, to your point, I can’t comment as a judicial candidate on a case that may very well come before the Supreme Court of Georgia. As you know, there are rules that come down from the federal court system that do affect our states, and also when it comes to the state of Georgia, our Supreme Court is the last line of defense, and Cases such as ones that may deal with redistricting and voting rights. could be a case that would come directly before the court, so I can’t specifically comment on what I would be… leave would be the guiding principle on those types of cases, to the extent I may actually be serving on the court, at the time that those rulings come before us. We can’t prejudge those types of matters.
Jen Rubin
I understand. Is there a Georgia Supreme Court Justice or a U.S. Supreme Court Justice that you look to and say, that’s a model for how I want to conduct myself or my judicial philosophy?
Miracle Rankin
Yeah, just as Leah Ward Sears, absolutely. I believe that she is a pioneer, but she’s also bold, when it comes to standing up for the decisions that she wrote and authored during the time that she was on the Supreme Court of Georgia. So, she’s one that I look to from just a poise perspective, from her judicial philosophy and how she handled cases that were before the court, and also the service that she provided to the community. Far often, we see gen individuals who ascend to some of our highest roles in our state, and then they become disconnected to the communities that have… upheld them throughout their journey. I didn’t see that with her. I actually saw the opposite. She was very entrenched in her community, and making sure that people understood that you can be a justice on the Supreme Court, and you can still be approachable and of service to your community.
Jen Rubin: Understood. I feel like our Supreme Court, your state’s Supreme Court, they have to run for re-election every 6 years. Is that a good thing? And what is the line between judicial independence, on one hand, and Nevertheless, being responsive to the current mindset of the people of Georgia.
Miracle Rankin: Yeah, I think it’s a great thing, Jen, because our highest court should serve the people of our state. So since we’re serving the people of our state, the electorate should have an opportunity to decide who they would like to sit on that court. I was down in Appling, Georgia, around 2 weeks ago, speaking with some individuals. And a young man who was no older than 25 came up to me, and he said, why are you here? I said, excuse me? He said, why are you here? It’s Applin, Georgia. You’re coming down here talking to us about a court that’s in Atlanta. I said, it sits in Atlanta, but this court represents individuals across our entire state. So while it sits in Atlanta, it’s a statewide court. And I saw the light up in his eyes of, I didn’t realize that. And that’s because people typically do not challenge justices in these races. But the people of our state have to know that you have the power. You are the electorate, and you get to decide who you would like to be on your highest court, who’s making decisions that affect your everyday lives.
Jen Rubin: Absolutely. You spoke about, looking after the rights of women and children. Talk to us a little bit about how you read statutory language to be broad enough or to be flexible enough To meet those current, concerns, current challenges, whether it’s in reproductive rights, whether it’s in trans rights, whether it’s for children and protective rights. Talk to us a little bit about how you look at the law and protections for women and children.
Miracle Rankin: Yeah, so, again, going back to one of the things we talked about earlier, I can’t prejudge things that may come before the court, and we know we have some ongoing things there, but I can tell you what I personally believe from my reading of the Constitution. I do believe that our Constitution of Georgia provides very broad privacy rights. to women and children and individuals across our state. That privacy includes access to certain health… healthcare information, a person’s ability to make healthcare decisions along with their physicians. So, there are a lot of privacy rights that I do personally believe are out there to protect us.
You know, we’re growing up right now, Jen, at a time where my daughter is growing up with less rights than what I had. as a young lady growing up in this state. I have nieces in our state. They’re in their 20s, and they have less rights than what I had growing up. And that’s just not right. So there are certain privacy rights that are in place in our Constitution that just have to be enforced in order to make sure that we are protecting women and children across our state.
Jen Rubin
You, have been the president of the African American Lawyers Association. Talk to us a little bit about the need to have a diversity of voices, both in the bar, but also in the court. You know, for years, these judges were all white, all male. What do you think diversity brings to either representation before courts or on the court itself?
Miracle Rankin:
Yeah, absolutely. So I was the 40th president of the Georgia Association of Black Women Attorneys. We represented over 800 women lawyers across the state of Georgia. And to your point, during the year that I was president, of GABA, I actually made a push for the open Supreme Court seat that we had the opportunity to appoint for that our governor actually needed to consider a Black person. In particular, I was pushing for a Black woman. Knowing the court’s history, Jen. And of the 104 justices that have served on the court, only 4 have been African American. Four. That is wildly concerning to me as someone who is a Black lawyer in our state.
Surely there have been more qualified individuals than just 4 justices that can serve on the state’s highest court. Diversity and representation is so important because we all bring different things to our lives that make up the character and the fabric of our state, and so it’s important that we have individuals from various walks of life that sit on the court so that we can have those different perspectives. So I just find that the more diverse, a court system is, or our bar is. the better we are able to serve the individuals across the state of Georgia, because we can bring those different perspectives with us as we come onto the court, and we’re making decisions that are widespread and wide-sweeping across our state.
Jen Rubin
So, people of Georgia are looking at this, and many people aren’t familiar with what judges do or how they work. What’s one or two things that you would want the people to know about you before they decide on May 19th, by the way, folks? Cast your ballot, to know about you, either about your personal background or your philosophy. What would you want to tell people?
Miracle Rankin
I’m a fighter, Jen. I’ve been fighting all of my life. My name’s Miracle because my parents had a difficult time actually getting me into this world. So I’ve been fighting since conception. I fought to make sure I could get through my educational system. I’ve worked 40 hours a week from the first day that I stepped onto Spelman’s campus. as an undergraduate student, and managed to graduate on time. I became a young breast cancer survivor. I’m celebrating 10 years this year. I fought to just keep my health in order to be able to have a family and to continue to pursue my career goals.
So, I think that they should know that I don’t back down when it comes to standing up for what I believe to be right, and you need that on the court, because you have varying opinions, and you may even have dissenting opinions. You need to know that you’ll have a justice on the court that will fight for what they believe the law says, and what the Constitution says, and how it protects individuals in our state. Also, I just have a wide breadth of legal experience. I’m well-learned, I have a very great demeanor and temperament, which is important when you come before the court.
I’ve sometimes seen what we call hot benches, which is sometimes necessary, but I also believe that litigants that come before the court should have an opportunity to espouse what their beliefs are, and why they believe their position is rooted in the law. And we should have justices who are willing to listen. So I would make sure that the court, when people come in, that it is a receptive court, that we’re open, and we’re willing to listen to them. And hopefully bring down some of that tension that people feel in those moments before you walk into the courtroom. I know what that feels like for your heart to be pounding, you know, non-stop as you walk into the courtroom, but to know that the person on the other side is actually warm and welcoming and willing to listen to your position without having pregestion is really important. So, those are the things that I would bring to the court.
Jen Rubin
Absolutely. If people want to know more about you, more about your background, more about the race, where should they go?
Miracle Rankin
They should go to my website, www.miracle4Georgia, that 4 is F-O-R, Georgia spelled out as well.com. You can also follow me on my socials, which are Miracle Rankin G.A.
Jen Rubin
Well, thank you very much. Best of luck. Again, folks, if you are in Georgia. We understand it’s a primary day for some races, but this is the whole thing. This is general elections that are on the same day. So, make sure you get out and vote, educate yourself. Thank you so much for spending time with us, Miracle, it’s been an absolute pleasure, and best of luck!
Miracle Rankin
Thank you so much, Jen, I’ve enjoyed it.
Jen Rubin
Take care.
Miracle Rankin
Thanks, bye-bye.
