Ohio Supreme Court Election 2026: Don’t Sit This One Out
Updated: 2 days ago
“Only a judge can take away your property, your money, your freedom, and even your life.”
On Tuesday, November 3, Ohio voters will choose the next two justices for the Ohio Supreme Court. Incumbent Democrat Justice Jennifer Brunner will face former judge Republican Colleen O’Donnell. Incumbent Republican Justice Dan Hawkins will face Democrat First District Court of Appeals Judge Marilyn Zayas.
Think the decisions made by those elected to the Ohio Supreme Court couldn’t affect you? Think again.
The court has heard high-profile cases on topics that affect our daily lives such as redistricting maps, gender-affirming care, energy, education, constitutional amendment ballot language on abortion, and crime victims’ rights.
Data centers are a huge topic of concern and Ohioans are pushing back. The Ohio Supreme Court recently ordered the city of Trenton to let voters decide on a ban on data centers. It also allowed the city of Ashville’s referendum against a data center project to move forward.
We’ve also had some VERY questionable decisions from our state’s highest court in recent years – “boneless” chicken wings don’t have to be boneless (even former late-night talk show host Stephen Colbert weighed in, calling the decision “hot legal garbage”), and nitrogen gas is “not a poison!”
Rulings like these are why who sits on the bench matters and why voting in this year’s state supreme court election is vital!
The Ohio Supreme Court: Just the Facts
The Ohio Supreme Court is the highest court in Ohio with a Chief Justice and six Justices. The justices decide all state constitutional questions (think redistricting), cases involving questions of public or general interest (think consumer safety), and all criminal appeals where the death penalty has been imposed (think only a judge can take away your life).
A seat for the Ohio Supreme Court is decided by an election with a six-year term, and elections are run in even years.
To be elected or appointed to the Supreme Court, a person must be an attorney with at least six years’ experience in the practice of law, admitted to the Ohio Bar, and younger than 70 years old. The Governor makes appointments for vacancies that may occur between elections.
Currently, the court is a 6-1 Republican majority with candidate Justice Jennifer Brunner being the sole Democrat.
Judicial Rules & Races in Ohio
Judges in Ohio are elected, run ads, and campaign like any other candidates for office. Unlike other candidates, those running for judge are subject to ethical rules of conduct outlined in the Ohio Code of Judicial Conduct, which are governed, adopted, and enforced by the Supreme Court of Ohio.
Judicial candidates have a special obligation to ensure the judicial system is viewed as fair, impartial, and free from partisanship. Jonathan Entin, professor at Case Western Reserve University School of Law explains that these rules are in place because “the idea of an independent and impartial judiciary assumes that judges are not simply politicians in robes.”
But the current Republican 6-1 majority has made recent changes to longstanding rules and norms. First, it loosened the rules on judges’ political speech.
Then it made Ohio the first state in the nation to allow political endorsements from judges by the decades-old ban on state judges and judicial candidates openly endorsing (or opposing) a candidate for another public office. In a twist no one saw coming, Republican Justice Pat Fischer responded with a scathing dissent.
For an example of what kind of campaigning judicial candidates should probably stay away from, see this ad ran in the May 2026 primary by Fifth District Court of Appeals Judge Andrew King on his campaign’s Facebook page.
Ohio Supreme Court Candidate Snapshots
Jennifer Brunner states that “justice is about fairness, equality and respect for all people.”
Brunner was elected to the Ohio Supreme Court in 2022. She is the sole Democrat on a six-to-one Republican majority bench. She previously served on Ohio’s Tenth District Court of Appeals and the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas.
She received an undergraduate degree in sociology-gerontology from Miami University and her law degree from Capital University Law School.
Her endorsements include the Ohio Patrolmen's Benevolent Association, the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, and Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio.
Fun fact: She is the only statewide elected Democrat in Ohio as of 2026.
Colleen O’Donnell describes herself as a constitutional conservative who is running for Ohio Supreme Court to “uphold the rule of law, protect public safety, and preserve a conservative majority on the Court.”
She served as a former Franklin County Court of Common Pleas judge from 2013 to 2023 and was most recently a U.S. Immigration Judge in Laredo, Texas.
O'Donnell received her undergraduate degree in political science from Miami University in 2003 and her law degree from Case Western Reserve University School of Law.
Embattled US Congressman Max Miller (R-OH) endorsed her candidacy, as well as Ohio Right to Life, and the Ohio Chamber of Commerce.
Fun fact: She is the daughter of retired Ohio Supreme Court Justice Terrence O'Donnell.
Dan Hawkins describes himself as a “strong Conservative for Ohio's Supreme Court.”
He was elected to the Ohio Supreme Court in November 2024. Prior to his term on the Supreme Court, Justice Hawkins served on the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas from 2019 to 2024 and as the director of the Special Victims Unit for the Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office.
Hawkins received an undergraduate degree in criminal justice from Bowling Green State University and his law degree from Ohio State University.
His endorsements include the Ohio Manufacturers’ Association PAC, the Ohio Chamber of Commerce, and Ohio Patrolmen's Benevolent Association.
Fun fact: He is friendly with the current Republican candidate for Ohio governor, Vivek Ramaswamy. See post here.
Marilyn Zayas pledges to bring “common sense, leave politics at the door, ensure fair access, and rule based solely on the law and facts.”
She has served on Hamilton County's First District Court of Appeals since 2016. Upon joining the court, Zayas was selected by then Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor to sit on the Ohio Supreme Court for a recused justice.
Zayas received an undergraduate degree in computer science from City College of the City University of New York and her law degree from the University of Cincinnati College of Law.
She’s been endorsed by Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio, the Ohio Association of Professional Fire Fighters, Ohio Citizen Action
Fun fact: She is the first Latina elected to an Ohio appeals court.
Below are candidate ratings from bar associations and the Plain Dealer/cleveland.com. This information was compiled by Judge4Yourself.
Making Your Selections: Ways to Evaluate Judicial Candidates
It can be so hard to find information about judicial candidates mostly because judges can’t make promises about how they are going to rule. But it's also because judges circumvent accountability by avoiding community discussions, refusing to provide information for voter guides, or opting out of forums.
When judges hold so much power over our daily lives, using the resources below and putting in the work to make the right choice is a worthwhile effort.
Do a simple Google search about the candidates. This is a quick and easy way for voters to get judicial candidate information. The same goes for social media searches and exploring candidates’ websites.
Seek out candidate questionnaires. Bar associations, newspapers, and websites like the League of Women Voters vote411.org provide judicial election information by asking judicial candidates to fill out questionnaires. Candidates have the opportunity to tell voters about things like their education, endorsements, affiliations, and work experience.
Check out bar association ratings. These ratings can be used to gauge prospective judges’ ability to perform their job. Some options include Judge4Yourself, a website made up of five cooperating bar associations and the Cincinnati Bar Association’s confidential, nonpartisan judicial survey of the candidates.
Determine who’s endorsing them. An endorsement by an individual or group can be another way to evaluate judicial candidates. Many times, candidates will display their endorsements on their campaign websites and local newspapers also endorse candidates.
See if there are any judicial forums or debates happening. While judicial candidates can’t tell you how they plan to rule, you can get to know them better at candidate forums. Click here for some questions that the candidates are free to answer.
Find out who’s contributed to their campaigns. Did you know that Ohio judges are allowed to hear cases from their contributors and are not required to recuse themselves? (Yes, you heard that right.) With that in mind, a candidate’s campaign contributors may help determine which judge gets your vote. You can do your own research at the Ohio Secretary of State’s website.
Examine who’s paying for the ads. Who’s paying for the ad equals an endorsement. Check the “paid for by” disclaimer included on political advertisements. This will tell you whether the ad is paid for by the candidate, a political party, or an organization.
Side note: If voting for judges didn’t matter, then why during the 2024 Ohio Supreme Court election did outside groups unaffiliated with any candidate spend nearly $6 million on political advertising to influence voters? You can view this year’s ads and spending figures at the Brennan Center for Justice’s Buying Time.
Don’t Sit This Election Out!
We have the power to shape our supreme court. Here are three ways to make that happen:
Get informed. Research the candidates running for Ohio Supreme Court. Share the information with your friends and family.
VOTE. Tell everyone you know to vote.
Be an engaged citizen. This is a hard one given where we’re at in the world. It's easy to opt out, to not pay attention, to pretend it's someone else’s problem. It's not. It's on us to show courts and judges that we’ve got our eye on them and we’re keeping tabs. It’s on us to demand better at the ballot box.
Election Day is November 3. Go to voteohio.gov to find your polling location, request an absentee ballot, track your ballot, and more. You can also get more election related information at vote411.org.
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