Michelle MacDonald, the controversial Republican endorsed candidate for the Minnesota Supreme Court in 2014, was not endorsed by the Republican Party of Minnesota for the Minnesota Supreme Court after Republicans decided not to endorse judicial candidates.

MacDonald had been recommended by the Republican Party of Minnesota Judicial Elections Committee to be endorsed again by the Republican Party of Minnesota for the Minnesota Supreme Court.

But after a presentation by Harry Niska, an attorney and Republican activist, who also serves on the Judicial Elections Committee, the convention voted not to endorse judicial candidates.

Even though MacDonald failed to win the endorsement of Republicans, her candidacy continues, as MacDonald filed today to run for the Minnesota Supreme Court against Justice Natalie Hudson.

MacDonald is one of the attorneys for Sandra Grazzini-Rucki, who has been charged with six counts of felony deprivation of parental rights involving the disappearance of her two daughters, Samantha and Gianna Rucki.

The sisters disappeared in April 2013 during a divorce and custody dispute between their parents. Samantha and Gianna’s father, David Rucki, was awarded full custody of all five of his children in November 2013.

The girls were later found on a ranch in western Minnesota, over 2 1/2 years after they ran from their Lakeville home to a car reportedly driven by Grazzini-Rucki.

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