Republicans win again in Ohio Supreme Court race; Deters, Shanahan, Hawkins win

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — For the second straight day, Republicans swept the slate of candidates for the Ohio Supreme Court on Tuesday, giving the party 6-1 control of the final round of court proceedings.

The new and returning justices, who begin their terms in January, will form the court's largest majority since 2018. The results of this cycle and the previous one may mark the end of a series of modest Democratic gains in judicial elections.

The results have not yet been confirmed, but the Associated Press declared the victories shortly after 11 p.m. According to preliminary state data, Republicans each won by about 11 points as nearly 94% of the state's precincts were counted by midnight. The results were:

• Judge Joe Deters (R) defeated his counterpart Melody Stewart (D) 55.8% to 44.2%.
• Judge Megan Shanahan (R) defeated incumbent Judge Michael Donnelly (D) 56.3% to 43.7%.
• Judge Dan Hawkins (R) topped Judge Lisa Forbes (D) 55.7% to 44.4%.

That means Judge Jennifer Brunner will be the only Democrat on the court next year.

This is the Republicans' second straight Supreme Court victory – Republicans have won three to three in 2022. This was the first election in more than a century in which the judge's party affiliation was indicated on the ballot, thanks to a change in Ohio law.

While the new justices will face numerous cases and controversies, they will almost certainly be involved in the court's first decisions on Ohio's new constitutional reproductive freedom rights, passed in 2023. They may continue to deal with redistricting cases in the future, even though voters rejected the proposed reforms in Issue 1.

Ohio Republican Party Chairman Alex Triantafilou announced the Republican victories to a room full of supporters around 9:45 p.m

The three candidates spoke briefly. Shanahan pledged to “uphold the Constitution and the laws as written” and advance a “conservative approach” on the bench. Hawkins said he would “protect the public and uphold the Constitution and the rule of law.” Deters praised Triantafilou and emphasized the “power of this party”.

Shortly after the three spoke, Ohio Right to Life, Ohio's most prominent anti-abortion lobbying group and supporter of all three, released a congratulatory statement.

“As it stands now, six of the seven justices on the Ohio Supreme Court are supported by Ohio Right to Life,” the organization said in a statement. “We are thrilled to know that the value of life lies in the hearts of these people and that they will stand up for life.”

Both Forbes and Stewart declined to comment Tuesday evening. Donnelly said his time on the field was an honor of a lifetime.

“Every time I have visited a city or town, I will never forget how much the citizens of Ohio have supported me,” he said. “I have always viewed the laws of our democracy as law. I am proud of the opinions I have written. I have authored about 30 dissents and four academic papers on criminal justice reform in my six years.”

Against the wishes of the Democrats, the Republicans refrained from holding individual public debates during the election campaign. In ads and media appearances, the GOP candidates portray themselves as guardians of public safety and constitutional protectors who interpret the law as it is written and do not “legislate from the bench.”

The three Democrats tried to focus their message on a recent 4-3 decision in which Republicans blocked a man from going to a jury trial after he choked on a bone in a “boneless” chicken wing.

Despite a hospital stay, a medically induced coma and an infection, the judges concluded that the man should have known about the possibility of bones in a “boneless” wing and that he therefore could not take his claim to court, resulting in a Result led Democrats consider it absurd and unfair to consumers. They also highlighted their support from pro-choice organizations and the support of the three anti-abortion Republicans.

In an unusual twist, Deters' victory marks Stewart's departure from the court. Typically, incumbent judges compete against outside challengers. But instead of running for his own seat in 2026, Deters chose to run against Stewart in her re-election bid. Stewart described the maneuver as uncollegial, to say the least.

Deters worked as a Hamilton County prosecutor for decades until Gov. Mike DeWine appointed him to fill the unexpired term of newly elected Chief Justice Sharon Kennedy. Stewart became the first Black woman elected to the state Supreme Court in 2018 and compared her background to the “nepotism” that benefited Deters by getting his job from DeWine, a family friend, rather than winning an election.

Hawkins, a former prosecutor who has led Franklin County's common pleas and environmental courts since 2013, will fill the remaining two years of Deters' term. Forbes will retain her seat on the 8th Ohio Circuit Court of Appeals in Cleveland.