Sarah Colegrove, an attorney, mediator and lifelong Wayne County resident, is running for Wayne County Probate Court judge in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election.
Three candidates are listed for three six-year seats in the nonpartisan contest: Colegrove, Suzanne Fanning and Vanessa M. Moss. Voters may choose up to three, according to Michigan’s official candidate list.
Colegrove responded to the Dearborn Dispatch candidate questionnaire on Oct. 5. Unless otherwise noted, the information and responses below come from that questionnaire.
Asked why she is running, Colegrove emphasized her experience in probate law and her connection to Wayne County.
“As a lifelong resident of Wayne County, I am grateful for the opportunities received here,” she said. “I want to use my twenty five years of probate legal experience to give back to our community by serving as its next Probate Judge.”
Candidate information
Background: Colegrove was born in Detroit and is a lifelong Wayne County resident, according to her campaign biography.
Education: Colegrove listed Kalamazoo College and Michigan State University College of Law, formerly Detroit College of Law. She said she earned her law degree cum laude and graduated in the top 10% of her class.
Family: Colegrove said she is married to Dave Grupenhoff, whom she identified as chief financial officer of Covenant House Michigan. She has two stepdaughters, Emma and Ellie.
Her father was a Detroit public school teacher, and her mother graduated from Cass Technical High School, she said.
Party affiliation: The probate court election is nonpartisan.
Previous public office: Colegrove listed no previous elected or appointed office.
Experience and public service
Colegrove identified her professional roles as attorney at Colegrove Law Firm PC, mediator for the U.S. Postal Service, arbitrator for the Better Business Bureau and neutral case evaluator with the Wayne County Mediation Tribunal.
She said she has concentrated on probate law for more than 25 years.
“As a certified mediator and arbitrator, I have helped hundreds of families resolve their disputes,” she said.
“My mediation and arbitration experience has trained me to be an excellent listener, how to understand each party’s point of view, and how to be fair and impartial.”
Colegrove said her experience resolving disputes would inform her approach to the bench.
“Serving as neutral party is a different mindset than serving as an advocate,” she said.
On the issues
Access to legal representation: Colegrove identified the challenges faced by people without attorneys as a major concern in probate court.
She said navigating cases without counsel can contribute to frustration, missed deadlines, delays and other problems.
“I would like to see a program implemented at our probate court that provides low-cost or free representation for our residents,” she said.
Reducing delays and costs: Colegrove supports referring parties to mediation earlier in their cases.
“Also, sending parties to mediation early in the process would shorten resolution time and reduce costs,” she said.
What sets her apart: Colegrove emphasized her probate practice and experience serving as a neutral mediator and arbitrator.
“I have been concentrating in probate law for over 25 years,” she said. “I also serve as a mediator for the U.S. Postal Service and an arbitrator for the Better Business Bureau.”
Endorsements
Colegrove’s campaign website lists judicial endorsements from:
- David J. Allen
- Todd E. Briggs
- Freddie Burton Jr., retired
- Gregory A. Clifton
- Macie T. Gaines
- Aaron J. Hall
- Jinan M. Hamood
- Sandra A. Harrison
- Judy A. Hartsfield
- Milton L. Mack Jr., retired
- Cathie Maher, retired
- Theodore A. Metry
- Michael J. McClory
- Mark McConnell
- Christopher M. Murray
- Lawrence J. Paolucci
- John R. Parnell Jr.
- Sara A. Schimke
- David J. Szymanski, retired
- John R. Urso, retired
This profile draws primarily on Sarah Colegrove’s responses to the Dearborn Dispatch candidate questionnaire, with additional information from official state election records and her campaign website. Responses have been excerpted and paraphrased; direct quotations retain her wording.
