close
close

Apre-salomemanzo

Breaking: Beyond Headlines!

    • The Republicans win all 3 seats
    aecifo

    The Republicans win all 3 seats

    Umito Posted on

    Republicans expanded their control of the Ohio Supreme Court on Tuesday by winning three elections, giving the GOP six out of seven seats from January.

    GOP victories come as judges decide cases involving the amendment on the right to abortion that voters approved last year. Ohio Right to Life endorsed all three Republicans for the Supreme Court.

    Democratic incumbent Judge Melody Stewart lost to Judge Joe Deters, a Republican appointed to the bench by Gov. Mike DeWine two years ago. Deters, a former Hamilton County prosecutor, chose to challenge Stewart rather than run to keep his seat.

    Incumbent Judge Michael Donnelly, a Cleveland-area Democrat, lost his seat to Republican challenger Megan Shanahan, a Hamilton County judge who was making her first statewide run.

    “This is about Ohio. This is about the future of our state,” Shanahan told supporters. “I will take an oath to uphold the Constitution and the laws as they are written. I will take a conservative approach on the bench, as I have promised you every day for the last two years.”

    And Franklin County Common Pleas Court Judge Dan Hawkins defeated Eighth District Court of Appeal Judge Lisa Forbes, a Democrat. Hawkins won the seat vacated by Deters.

    Hawkins said he would build on his reputation as a fair judge who listens to all sides. “I’m going to take that temperament to the next level in our Ohio Supreme Court. You can be sure you’ll be proud of me. I’m going to do justice well. I’m going to protect the public, uphold our Constitution and Rule of law, and you can put that in the bank.”

    The winners of the three races received more than 55% of the votes.

    Republicans have held the majority on the seven-member Ohio Supreme Court since 1986.

    In the last two election cycles, a new law required nominees to the Supreme Court and appeals courts to be party-labeled. Republicans won Supreme Court elections in 2022 and this year.

    Come January, Judge Jennifer Brunner will be the only Democrat serving on the court and the only Democrat holding statewide office in Ohio.

    More: Ohio Supreme Court election has 6 candidates vying for 3 seats

    More: Ohio Sets New In-Person Early Voting Record, Surpasses 2020 Pandemic Numbers

    Stay informed: Sign up for The Scoop, our weekly Ohio politics newsletter

    Laura Bischoff is a reporter for the Ohio bureau of the USA TODAY Network, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, the Cincinnati Enquirer, the Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations in Ohio..

    Umito
    View all posts

    You Might Also Like