Ohio Supreme Court Elections

There are seven justices on the Ohio Supreme Court. For more information about these elections, visit the Ohio judicial elections page.

Judicial selection[edit]

See also: Judicial selection in Ohio

The seven justices of the Ohio Supreme Court are selected through partisan primaries and partisan general elections. Previously, these judges were selected through partisan primaries and nonpartisan general elections, known as the Michigan method.^[1]^[2]^[3]

All judges serve six-year terms, after which they are required to run for re-election if they wish to remain on the court.^[3]

Qualifications[edit]

To serve on the Ohio Supreme Court, a judge must:

have at least six years in the practice of law;
be licensed to practice law in the state for at least one year preceding appointment or commencement of the judge's term;
be a judge of a court of record in any jurisdiction in the U.S.; and
be under the age of 70.^[4]

Chief justice[edit]

The chief justice of the Ohio Supreme Court is chosen by voters at large, serving a full six-year term in that capacity.^[3]

Vacancies[edit]

See also: How vacancies are filled in state supreme courts

In the event of a midterm vacancy, the governor appoints a replacement. The appointee serves until the next general election taking place 40 or more days after the vacancy occurred. If re-elected, the judge serves the remainder of his or her predecessor's unexpired term.^[3]

The map below highlights how vacancies are filled in state supreme courts across the country.

Elections[edit]

Term starts 01/02/2031

There are no official candidates yet for this election.

Term starts 01/01/2031

There are no official candidates yet for this election.

Ohio Supreme Court

There are no official candidates yet for this election.

Ohio Supreme Court

General election

The general election will occur on November 7, 2028.

General election for Ohio Supreme Court

Incumbent Pat Fischer (R) is running in the general election for Ohio Supreme Court on November 7, 2028.

		Candidate
		Pat Fischer (R)

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined.
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Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice

There are no official candidates yet for this election.

Dan Hawkins' seat

There are no official candidates yet for this election.

Jennifer Brunner's seat

General election

The primary will occur on May 5, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. General election candidates will be added here following the primary.

Republican primary

Republican primary for Ohio Supreme Court

Jill Flagg Lanzinger (R) is running in the Republican primary for Ohio Supreme Court on May 5, 2026.

		Candidate
		Jill Flagg Lanzinger

	There are no incumbents in this race.
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Regular election: Term starts 01/01/2025

General election

General election for Ohio Supreme Court

Megan E. Shanahan (R) defeated incumbent Michael P. Donnelly (D) in the general election for Ohio Supreme Court on November 5, 2024.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Megan E. Shanahan (R)	55.6	3,025,884
	Michael P. Donnelly (D)	44.4	2,415,507

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 5,441,391
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary

Democratic primary for Ohio Supreme Court

Incumbent Michael P. Donnelly (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for Ohio Supreme Court on March 19, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Michael P. Donnelly	100.0	462,982

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 462,982
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary

Republican primary for Ohio Supreme Court

Megan E. Shanahan (R) advanced from the Republican primary for Ohio Supreme Court on March 19, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Megan E. Shanahan	100.0	836,768

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 836,768
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Special election: Term ends 12/31/2026

General election

Special general election for Ohio Supreme Court

Dan Hawkins (R) defeated Lisa Forbes (D) in the special general election for Ohio Supreme Court on November 5, 2024.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Dan Hawkins (R)	55.0	2,998,592
	Lisa Forbes (D)	45.0	2,456,462

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 5,455,054
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary

Special Democratic primary for Ohio Supreme Court

Lisa Forbes (D) defeated Terri Jamison (D) in the special Democratic primary for Ohio Supreme Court on March 19, 2024.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Lisa Forbes	63.8	310,635
	Terri Jamison	36.2	175,965

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 486,600
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary

Special Republican primary for Ohio Supreme Court

Dan Hawkins (R) advanced from the special Republican primary for Ohio Supreme Court on March 19, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Dan Hawkins	100.0	810,411

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 810,411
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Regular election: Term starts 01/02/2025

General election

General election for Ohio Supreme Court

Incumbent Joseph Deters (R) defeated incumbent Melody Stewart (D) in the general election for Ohio Supreme Court on November 5, 2024.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Joseph Deters (R)	55.1	2,997,144
	Melody Stewart (D)	44.9	2,443,066

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 5,440,210
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary

Democratic primary for Ohio Supreme Court

Incumbent Melody Stewart (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for Ohio Supreme Court on March 19, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Melody Stewart	100.0	459,539

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 459,539
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary

Republican primary for Ohio Supreme Court

Incumbent Joseph Deters (R) advanced from the Republican primary for Ohio Supreme Court on March 19, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Joseph Deters	100.0	835,968

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 835,968
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Ohio Supreme Court

General election

General election for Ohio Supreme Court

Incumbent Pat DeWine (R) defeated Marilyn Zayas (D) in the general election for Ohio Supreme Court on November 8, 2022.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Pat DeWine (R)	56.3	2,306,428
	Marilyn Zayas (D)	43.7	1,789,384

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 4,095,812
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary

Democratic primary for Ohio Supreme Court

Marilyn Zayas (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for Ohio Supreme Court on May 3, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Marilyn Zayas	100.0	406,732

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 406,732
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary

Republican primary for Ohio Supreme Court

Incumbent Pat DeWine (R) advanced from the Republican primary for Ohio Supreme Court on May 3, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Pat DeWine	100.0	719,162

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 719,162
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Ohio Supreme Court

General election

General election for Ohio Supreme Court

Incumbent Pat Fischer (R) defeated Terri Jamison (D) in the general election for Ohio Supreme Court on November 8, 2022.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Pat Fischer (R)	56.9	2,330,575
	Terri Jamison (D)	43.1	1,764,845

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 4,095,420
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary

Democratic primary for Ohio Supreme Court

Terri Jamison (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for Ohio Supreme Court on May 3, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Terri Jamison	100.0	418,525

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 418,525
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary

Republican primary for Ohio Supreme Court

Incumbent Pat Fischer (R) advanced from the Republican primary for Ohio Supreme Court on May 3, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Pat Fischer	100.0	788,538

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 788,538
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Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice

General election

General election for Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice

Incumbent Sharon L. Kennedy (R) defeated incumbent Jennifer L. Brunner (D) in the general election for Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice on November 8, 2022.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Sharon L. Kennedy (R)	56.1	2,307,415
	Jennifer L. Brunner (D)	43.9	1,807,133

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 4,114,548
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary

Democratic primary for Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice

Incumbent Jennifer L. Brunner (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice on May 3, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jennifer L. Brunner	100.0	445,711

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 445,711
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary

Republican primary for Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice

Incumbent Sharon L. Kennedy (R) advanced from the Republican primary for Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice on May 3, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Sharon L. Kennedy	100.0	814,717

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 814,717
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Kennedy's seat

General election

General election for Ohio Supreme Court

Incumbent Sharon L. Kennedy (Nonpartisan) defeated John P. O'Donnell (Nonpartisan) in the general election for Ohio Supreme Court on November 3, 2020.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Sharon L. Kennedy (Nonpartisan)	55.1	2,735,041
	John P. O'Donnell (Nonpartisan)	44.9	2,231,724

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 4,966,765
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary

Democratic primary for Ohio Supreme Court

John P. O'Donnell (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for Ohio Supreme Court on April 28, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		John P. O'Donnell	100.0	659,196

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 659,196
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary

Republican primary for Ohio Supreme Court

Incumbent Sharon L. Kennedy (R) advanced from the Republican primary for Ohio Supreme Court on April 28, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Sharon L. Kennedy	100.0	637,255

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 637,255
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French's seat

General election

General election for Ohio Supreme Court

Jennifer L. Brunner (Nonpartisan) defeated incumbent Judith French (Nonpartisan) in the general election for Ohio Supreme Court on November 3, 2020.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Jennifer L. Brunner (Nonpartisan)	55.3	2,695,072
	Judith French (Nonpartisan)	44.7	2,174,820

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 4,869,892
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary

Democratic primary for Ohio Supreme Court

Jennifer L. Brunner (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for Ohio Supreme Court on April 28, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jennifer L. Brunner	100.0	675,231

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 675,231
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary

Republican primary for Ohio Supreme Court

Incumbent Judith French (R) advanced from the Republican primary for Ohio Supreme Court on April 28, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Judith French	100.0	618,739

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 618,739
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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O'Donnell's seat

General election

General election for Ohio Supreme Court

Michael P. Donnelly (D) defeated Craig Baldwin (R) in the general election for Ohio Supreme Court on November 6, 2018.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Michael P. Donnelly (D)	61.0	2,170,227
	Craig Baldwin (R)	39.0	1,385,435

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 3,555,662
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary

Democratic primary for Ohio Supreme Court

Michael P. Donnelly (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for Ohio Supreme Court on May 8, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Michael P. Donnelly	100.0	501,831

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 501,831
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary

Republican primary for Ohio Supreme Court

Craig Baldwin (R) advanced from the Republican primary for Ohio Supreme Court on May 8, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Craig Baldwin	100.0	595,000

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 595,000
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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DeGenaro's seat

General election

General election for Ohio Supreme Court

Melody Stewart (D) defeated incumbent Mary DeGenaro (R) in the general election for Ohio Supreme Court on November 6, 2018.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Melody Stewart (D)	52.6	1,853,418
	Mary DeGenaro (R)	47.4	1,667,258

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 3,520,676
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Nonpartisan primary

Nonpartisan primary election for Ohio Supreme Court

Incumbent Mary DeGenaro (R) and Melody Stewart (D) advanced from the primary for Ohio Supreme Court on May 8, 2018.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Mary DeGenaro (R)	53.8	581,244
✔	Melody Stewart (D)	46.2	500,084

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 1,081,328
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Previous election results

2016

See also: Ohio Supreme Court elections, 2016

November 8 general election

Incumbent Maureen O'Connor (Ohio) ran unopposed in the general election for the Ohio Supreme Court, O'Connor's seat.

Ohio Supreme Court, O'Connor's Seat, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Maureen O'Connor (Ohio) Incumbent (unopposed)	100.00%	3,562,413
Total Votes (100% reporting)				3,562,413
Source: Ohio Secretary of State Official Results

Pat Fischer defeated John P. O'Donnell in the general election for the Ohio Supreme Court, Lanziger's seat.

Ohio Supreme Court, Lanziger's Seat, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Pat Fischer	50.28%	2,044,984
	Democratic	John P. O'Donnell	49.72%	2,022,514
Total Votes (100% reporting)				4,067,498
Source: Ohio Secretary of State Official Results

Pat DeWine defeated Cynthia Rice in the general election for the Ohio Supreme Court, Pfeiffer's seat.

Ohio Supreme Court, Pfeifer's Seat, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Pat DeWine	56.31%	2,438,641
	Democratic	Cynthia Rice	43.69%	1,892,450
Total Votes (100% reporting)				4,331,091
Source: Ohio Secretary of State Official Results

March 15 primary election

Ohio Supreme Court, Justice O'Connor's Seat Republican Primary, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Maureen O'Connor Incumbent (unopposed)	100.00%	1,353,231
Total Votes				1,353,231
Source: Ohio Secretary of State Official Results

Ohio Supreme Court, Justice Lazinger's Seat Republican Primary, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Pat Fischer	54.26%	761,771
	Republican	Colleen O'Toole	45.74%	642,048
Total Votes				1,403,819
Source: Ohio Secretary of State Official Results

Ohio Supreme Court, Justice Lazinger's Seat Democratic Primary, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	John P. O'Donnell (unopposed)	100.00%	776,945
Total Votes				776,945
Source: Ohio Secretary of State Official Results

Ohio Supreme Court, Justice Pfiefer's Seat Republican Primary, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Pat DeWine (unopposed)	100.00%	1,336,648
Total Votes				1,336,648
Source: Ohio Secretary of State Official Results

Ohio Supreme Court, Justice Pfiefer's Seat Democratic Primary, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Cynthia Rice (unopposed)	100.00%	807,997
Total Votes				807,997
Source: Ohio Secretary of State Official Results

2014

Term commencing 1/1/15

Candidate	Incumbency	Party	Primary Vote	Election Vote
LetsonTom Letson	Yes	Democratic	100%A	27.5% D
KennedySharon L. Kennedy A	Yes	Republican	100%A	72.5% A

Term commencing 1/2/15

Candidate	Incumbency	Party	Primary Vote	Election Vote
O'DonnellJohn P. O'Donnell	No	Democratic	100%A
FrenchJudith French A	Yes	Republican	100%A	55.9% A

2012

See also: Ohio judicial elections, 2012

Candidate	Incumbency	Party	Term	Primary Vote	Election Vote
SkindellMike Skindell	No	Democratic	Term commencing 1/1/2013		30.87% A
CuppRobert Cupp	Yes	Republican	Term commencing 1/2/2013		47.48% A
KennedySharon L. Kennedy A	No	Republican			57.02% A
O'DonnellTerrence O'Donnell (Ohio) A	Yes	Republican			69.12% A
O'NeillWilliam O'Neill (Ohio) A	No	Democratic		71.3%A	52.51% A
McGee BrownYvette McGee Brown	Yes	Democratic			42.97% A

2010

See also: 2010 State Supreme Court elections

Incumbent Eric Brown faced challenger Maureen O'Connor and was defeated.

Ohio Supreme Court 2010 General election results
Candidate	Votes	Percent
Maureen O'Connor	n/a	67.8%
Eric Brown	n/a	n/a

Incumbent Judith Ann Lanzinger faced challenger Mary Jane Trapp and won.

Ohio Supreme Court 2010 General election results
Candidate	Votes	Percent
Judith Ann Lanzinger	n/a	56.9%
Mary Jane Trapp	n/a	n/a

Paul Pfeifer ran uncontested and was elected.

Ohio Supreme Court 2010 General election results
Candidate	Votes	Percent
Paul Pfeifer	n/a	n/a

2008

See also: State Supreme Court elections, 2008

Incumbent Maureen O'Connor defeated challenger Joseph D. Russo.

Ohio Supreme Court 2008 General election results
Candidate	Votes	Percent
Maureen O'Connor	n/a	67%
Joseph D. Russo	n/a	44%

Incumbent Evelyn L. Stratton defeated challenger Peter M. Sikora.

Ohio Supreme Court 2008 General election results
Candidate	Votes	Percent
Evelyn L. Stratton	n/a	63%
Peter M. Sikora	n/a	37%

2006

In the November 2006 general election, incumbent Justice Terrence O'Donnell was again challenged by Judge William O'Neill, of the Ohio Eleventh District Court of Appeals. O'Neill previously ran against O'Donnell in 2004, as O'Donnell competed in his first election to the Supreme Court. O'Donnell won re-election.

Robert Cupp, judge on the Ohio Third District Court of Appeals, ran against Ben Espy, a former Columbus City Council member and state senator, for the position commencing on January 2, 2007. Cupp won the seat.^[5]^[6]

Candidate	Incumbent	Seat	Party	Primary votes	Primary %	Election votes	Election %
Terrence O'Donnell A	Yes	Term commencing January 1, 2007	Republican	607,109	100%	1,903,702	58.7%
William O'Neill	No	Term commencing January 1, 2007	Democratic	395,239	53.2%	1,341,258	41.3%
Robert Cupp A	No	Term commencing January 2, 2007	Republican	564,838	100%	1,712,584	53.2%
Ben Espy	No	Term commencing January 2, 2007	Democratic	350,505	51.3%	1,505,255	46.8%

2004

In the November 2004 general election, incumbent Chief Justice Thomas Moyer ran against Ellen Connally, a Cleveland Municipal Court judge, for the office of Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Moyer won re-election.

Incumbent Justice Terrence O'Donnell was challenged by Judge William O'Neill, of the Ohio Eleventh District Court of Appeals, for the unexpired term to which O'Donnell was appointed in May 2003. O'Donnell won the seat.

Judith Ann Lanzinger, a judge for the Ohio Sixth District Court of Appeals, ran against Nancy A. Fuerst, a Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas judge for the term beginning on January 1, 2005. Lanzinger won the seat.

Incumbent Justice Paul Pfeifer ran uncontested for the term beginning on January 2, 2005.^[7]^[8]^[9]^[10]

Contested elections

Candidate	Incumbent	Seat	Party	Primary votes	Primary %	Election votes	Election %
Thomas Moyer A	Yes	Chief Justice of the Supreme Court	Republican	658,235	100.0%	2,358,135	53.2%
Ellen Connally	No	Chief Justice of the Supreme Court	Democratic	846,191	100.0%	2,073,886	46.8%
Terrence O'Donnell A	Yes	Unexpired term	Republican	594,936	100.0%	2,560,609	60.5%
William O'Neill	No	Unexpired term	Democratic	843,678	100.0%	1,671,827	39.5%
Judith Ann Lanzinger A	No	Term commencing January 1, 2005	Republican	599,873	100.0%	2,500,966	57.0%
Nancy A. Fuerst	No	Term commencing January 1, 2005	Democratic	594,918	60.2%	1,885,959	43.0%

Uncontested elections

Candidate	Incumbent
Paul Pfeifer A	Yes

2002

In the November 5, 2002 general election, Maureen O'Connor, the Lieutenant Governor of Ohio, ran against Timothy S. Black, a Hamilton County Municipal Court judge, for the term commencing on January 1, 2003. O'Connor was elected to the court.

Incumbent Justice Evelyn Stratton ran against Janet R. Burnside, a judge for the general division of the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas, for the term commencing on January 2, 2003. Stratton was re-elected.^[11]

Candidate	Incumbent	Seat	Party	Election votes	Election %
Maureen O'Connor A	No	Term commencing January 1, 2003	Republican	1,709,673	57.3%
Timothy S. Black	No	Term commencing January 1, 2003	Democratic	1,276,497	42.7%
Evelyn Stratton A	Yes	Term commencing January 2, 2003	Republican	1,599,165	55.3%
Janet R. Burnside	No	Term commencing January 2, 2003	Democratic	1,290,412	44.7%

2000

In the November 7, 2000 general election, incumbent Justice Deborah Cook ran against Timothy S. Black, a Hamilton County Municipal Court judge, for the term commencing on January 1, 2001. Cook was re-elected

Incumbent Justice Alice Resnick was challenged by Terrence O'Donnell, a judge for the Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals, for the term commencing on January 2, 2001. Resnick was re-elected.^[12]^[13]

Candidate	Incumbent	Seat	Party	Primary votes	Primary %	Election votes	Election %
Deborah Cook A	Yes	Term commencing January 1, 2001	Republican	948,526	100.0%	2,013,140	51.9%
Timothy S. Black	No	Term commencing January 1, 2001	Democratic	405,184	54.6%	1,867,554	48.1%
Alice Resnick A	Yes	Term commencing January 2, 2001	Democratic	716,031	100.0%	2,312,073	57.0%
Terrence O'Donnell	No	Term commencing January 2, 2001	Republican	897,324	100.0%	1,740,516	43.0%

1998

In the November 3, 1998 general election, incumbent Chief Justice Thomas Moyer ran against Gary Tyack, an Ohio Tenth District Court of Appeals judge, for the office of Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Moyer was re-elected.

Incumbent Justice Francis E. Sweeney, Sr. was challenged by Stephen Powell, a judge on the Ohio Twelfth District Court of Appeals, for the term commencing on January 1, 1999. Sweeney was re-elected.

Incumbent Justice Paul Pfeifer ran against Ronald Suster, a judge for the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas, for the term commencing on January 2, 1999. Pfeifer won the seat.^[14]^[15]

Candidate	Incumbent	Seat	Party	Primary votes	Primary %	Election votes	Election %
Thomas Moyer A	Yes	Chief Justice of the Supreme Court	Republican	598,221	100.0%	1,997,455	72.2%
Gary Tyack	No	Chief Justice of the Supreme Court	Democratic	545,503	100.0%	770,769	27.8%
Francis E. Sweeney A	Yes	Term commencing January 1, 1999	Democratic	617,548	100.0%	1,677,791	61.5%
Stephen Powell	No	Term commencing January 1, 1999	Republican	554,144	100.0%	1,049,561	38.5%
Paul Pfeifer A	Yes	Term commencing January 2, 1999	Republican	567,600	100.0%	1,947,916	71.4%
Ronald Suster	No	Term commencing January 2, 1999	Democratic	509,904	100.0%	781,103	28.6%

1996

In the November 5, 1996 general election, incumbent Justice Andrew G. Douglas ran against Peter Sikora, a Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas judge, for the term commencing on January 1, 1997. Douglas was re-elected.

Marianna Brown Bettman, a judge on the Ohio First District Court of Appeals, ran against Evelyn Stratton, a judge on the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas, for the term commencing on January 2, 1997. Stratton was elected to the court.^[16]

Candidate	Incumbent	Seat	Party	Election votes	Election %
Andrew G. Douglas A	Yes	Term commencing January 1, 1997	Republican	2,230,601	66.2%
Peter Sikora	No	Term commencing January 1, 1997	Democratic	1,138,106	33.8%
Marianna Brown Bettman	No	Term commencing January 2, 1997	Democratic	1,427,947	41.5%
Evelyn Stratton A	No	Term commencing January 2, 1997	Republican	2,016,264	58.5%

1994

In the November 8, 1994 general election, Ohio Ninth District Court of Appeals Judge Deborah Cook ran against J. Ross Haffey, an attorney practicing in Cleveland, for the term commencing on January 1, 1995. Judge Cook won the seat.

Sara J. Harper, a judge on the Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals ran against Alice R. Resnick, a judge on the Ohio Sixth District Court of Appeals, for the term commencing on January 2, 1995. Resnick was elected to the court.^[17]

Candidate	Incumbent	Seat	Party	Election votes	Election %
Deborah Cook A	No	Justice of the Supreme Court for the term commencing on January 1, 1995	Republican	1,842,063	68.1%
J. Ross Haffey 2706849	No	Justice of the Supreme Court for the term commencing on January 1, 1995	Independent	864,786	31.9%
Sara J. Harper	No	Justice of the Supreme Court for the term commencing on January 2, 1995	Republican	1,144,143	41.0%
Alice R. Resnick A	Yes	Justice of the Supreme Court for the term commencing on January 2, 1995	Democratic	1,645,061	59.0%

1992

In the November 3, 1992 general election, incumbent Chief Justice Thomas Moyer ran against Robert H. Gorman, an Ohio First District Court of Appeals judge, and J. Ross Haffey, an attorney practicing in Cleveland, for the office of Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Moyer was re-elected.

Francis E. Sweeney, Sr., a judge for the Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals, ran against Mark Philip Painter, a judge on the Hamilton County Municipal Court, for the term commencing on January 1, 1993. Sweeney won the seat.

Paul Pfeifer, a senator for the Ohio State Senate, ran against John T. Patton, a judge on the Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals, for the term commencing on January 2, 1993. Pfeifer was elected to the court.^[18]

Candidate	Incumbent	Seat	Party	Election votes	Election %
Thomas Moyer A	Yes	Chief Justice of the Supreme Court for the term commencing January 1, 1993	Republican	1,775,596	46.7%
Robert H. Gorman	No	Chief Justice of the Supreme Court	Democratic	1,670,248	43.9%
J. Ross Haffey	No	Chief Justice of the Supreme Court	Independent	354,944	9.3%
Francis E. Sweeney A	No	Term commencing on January 1, 1993	Democratic	2,008,854	52.2%
Mark P. Painter	No	Term commencing on January 1, 1993	Republican	1,838,307	47.8%
Paul Pfeifer A	No	Term commencing on January 2, 1993	Republican	2,015,685	53.0%
John T. Patton	No	Term commencing on January 2, 1993	Democratic	1,785,215	47.0%

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Footnotes[edit]

Ohio courts

Federal courts:

Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals • U.S. District Court: Northern District of Ohio, Southern District of Ohio • U.S. Bankruptcy Court: Northern District of Ohio, Southern District of Ohio

State courts:

Ohio Supreme Court • Ohio District Courts of Appeal • Ohio Courts of Common Pleas • Ohio County Courts • Ohio Municipal Courts • Ohio Court of Claims

State resources:

Courts in Ohio • Ohio judicial elections • Judicial selection in Ohio

[2022update-1] Ohio Secretary of State, “Ohio Candidate Requirement Guide,” accessed December 7, 2021

[2022law-2] Ohio General Assembly, “(Senate Bill Number 80),” accessed December 7, 2021

[OHgeneral-3] 3.0 ^3.1 ^3.2 ^3.3 National Center for State Courts, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Ohio," accessed September 1, 2021

[4] Ohio Laws & Administrative Rules, "Section 2503.01 | Composition of supreme court; qualifications for justices.," accessed April 12, 2023

[5] Ohio Secretary of State, Election Results: Justice Of The Ohio Supreme Court Term Beginning January 1, 2007, November 7, 2006

[6] Ohio Secretary of State, Election Results: Justice Of The Ohio Supreme Court Term Beginning January 2, 2007, November 7, 2006

[7] Ohio Secretary of State, Election Results: Chief Justice Of The Ohio Supreme Court, November 2, 2004

[8] Ohio Secretary of State, Election Results: Justice Of The Supreme Court - Unexpired Term, November 2, 2004

[9] Ohio Secretary of State, Election Results: Justice Of The Supreme Court - Term Beginning January 1, 2005, November 2, 2004

[10] Ohio Secretary of State, Election Results: Justice Of The Supreme Court - Term Beginning January 2, 2005, November 2, 2004

[11] Ohio Secretary of State, Official Website: Election Results, Justices Of The Ohio Supreme Court, November 5, 2002

[12] Ohio Secretary of State, Election Results: Ohio Supreme Court - Term Beginning January 1, 2001, November 7, 2000

[13] Ohio Secretary of State, Election Results: Ohio Supreme Court - Term Beginning January 2, 2001, November 7, 2000

[14] Ohio Secretary of State, Election Results: Chief Justice of The Supreme Court, November 3, 1998

[15] Ohio Secretary of State, Election Results: Justices of The Supreme Court, November 3, 1998

[16] Ohio Secretary of State, Election Results: Ohio Supreme Court, November 5, 1996

[17] Ohio Secretary of State, Election Results: Ohio Supreme Court, November 8, 1994

[18] Ohio Secretary of State, Election Results: General Election, November 3, 1992

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