Who are the judges running for the Ohio Supreme Court?

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Those casting a ballot in the Nov. 5 general election will be deciding which three of six judges should be on Ohio's Supreme Court.

The state's highest court, where Republicans hold a 4-3 majority, is tasked with providing the final say on countless issues that impact Ohioans, like access to abortion, how the state's political districts are drawn, parental rights for same-sex couples, and environmental projects like solar farms.

Three of the seven seats on the court are up for election this November, with three Democrats and three Republicans in the running. If the three Democrats win, the court would shift to a Democratic 4-3 majority. If the three Republicans win, the court would have deepened Republican control with a 6-1 majority.

Deters v. Stewart

Incumbent Republican Justice Joseph Deters is challenging Incumbent Democratic Justice Melody Stewart. Deters decided to face off against Stewart instead of run for re-election to his current seat.

Deters was appointed to the court in January 2023 and is now running for a full term. He is the first Ohio Supreme Court Justice in 30 years without any previous experience as a judge. He previously served as Hamilton County's longest-tenured prosecutor from 1992 to 1999 and again from 2005 to 2023.

During his time as prosecutor, Deters maintained a "tough on crime" reputation and strong support of the death penalty. In a July 2018 interview with WLWT in Cincinnati, Deters advocated for the reinstatement of death by firing squad. He made national headlines for his multiple prosecutions of former University of Cincinnati Police Officer Ray Tensing, who in 2015 fatally shot a Black driver named Sam DuBose during a traffic stop.

The 66-year-old recused himself in 2023 from presiding over the state's racketeering lawsuit against parties associated with a $60 million bribery scandal that culminated in a $1.3 billion bailout of Akron-based FirstEnergy’s nuclear power plants.

"As Justice, my chief responsibility is to respect and honor the rule of law and the Supreme Court's role as a co-equal branch of government," his campaign site states. "I view the role of the court to interpret our constitution while showing judicial restraint from influencing legislation."

Stewart was elected to the Ohio Supreme Court in 2018 and was the first Black woman to be elected to the court. She previously served on the Eighth District Court of Appeals for 12 years. Before that, she was an administrator for a healthcare management company, a music teacher, a civil defense litigator, a law school administrator, and a professor. 

The 61-year-old boasts being highly rated by bar associations and endorsements by national, state, regional, and local organizations including labor, educational, public safety, community groups, and civic leaders. Stewart was a member of the majority that ruled Ohio's congressional districts had been gerrymandered.

"Justice Stewart has been an exceptional member of the judiciary and a committed public servant," her campaign site states. "She believes that the first and the only reason to run for public office is to serve the public, not partisan political agendas."

Forbes v. Hawkins

Democratic Eighth District Court of Appeals Judge Lisa Forbes is running against Republican Franklin County Court of Common Pleas Judge Dan Hawkins for Deters' open seat.

Forbes was elected to the court of appeals in 2020, and previously worked at two law firms dating back to 1993. She sits on various boards helping provide access to "some of Cuyahoga County's most vulnerable residents," including the Center for Families and Children and Circle Health.

The 60-year-old argues she will be "an independent and fair jurist," pointing her career to "as a litigator arguing complex and nuanced cases, and now as an appellate court judge." Her campaign site states the court "must continue to perform its key function as a check and balance."

"Our state's highest court should be a firewall that protects individual rights and freedoms. It is quite literally Ohioans’ last stop for justice," the site states. "I have steeped myself in the law and approach each case with an eye toward fairness, facts and faithful application of the law."

Hawkins was elected to the Franklin County Court of Commons Pleas in 2018 and was previously appointed and then elected to the Franklin County Municipal Court. He also served as an assistant prosecuting attorney and director of the Special Victims Unit for the Franklin County Prosecutor's Office.

The 48-year-old argues he would be "a strong conservative" on the court. He boasts his time on the Environmental Division of the Franklin County Municipal Court, implementing strategies to deal with those properties that became a magnet for criminal activity such as vacant and abandoned structures and drug houses. 

"I am running for the Ohio Supreme Court because I want my family and yours to live in an Ohio that is safe and free," his campaign site states. "Throughout my career as a prosecutor and judge, I have fought to uphold our Constitution, enforce the rule-of-law, and ensure that our neighborhoods are safe places to live and work."

Donnelly v. Shanahan

Incumbent Democratic Justice Michael P. Donnelly is being challenged by Republican Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas Judge Megan Shanahan.

Donnelly was elected to the Ohio Supreme Court in 2018 and previously served as a judge on the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas from 2005 to 2018. He was also a judge on the Cuyahoga County's Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities Court, practiced civil litigation from 1997 to 2004, and served as the assistant Cuyahoga County Prosecutor from 1992 to 1997.

The 58-year-old boasts "a clear view of his judicial philosophy," having "protected the rights of union members" and rolled back more than $200 million in surcharges Ohio consumers had been forced to pay First Energy. He also was part of the court's majority that ruled Ohio's congressional districts had been gerrymandered, and turned back attempts to keep last year's abortion rights amendment off the ballot.

"Those opinions and many others Justice Donnelly authored during his five impactful years on Ohio’s highest court, along with his continued efforts to close Ohio's justice gap, utilize data to promote equity in sentencing, and make the justice system more transparent, accountable, and efficient, argue strongly for his reelection," his campaign site states.

Shanahan has served on the Hamilton Court Common Pleas Court since 2015, and was previously elected to the Hamilton County Municipal Court in 2011 and reelected in 2013. She was a felony-level criminal prosecutor before taking the bench.

The 49-year-old boasts of sending "hundreds of the most dangerous criminals to prison," with a passion for prosecuting child predators. In one case, she persuaded the court to permit closed circuit television for the live testimony of a young victim, which allowed the child to testify in a separate room so as not to be intimidated by his offender.

"Shanahan is a skilled and experienced trial court judge who has earned the respect of the people who come into her courtroom and the citizens who elected her," the site states. "Judge Shanahan's transparent, no-nonsense, plain-spoken approach is on display in every case."