Current:Home > StocksOhio Supreme Court primary with 2 Democrats kicks off long campaign over court’s partisan control-InfoLens
Ohio Supreme Court primary with 2 Democrats kicks off long campaign over court’s partisan control
View Date:2024-12-23 12:41:08
Tuesday’s Democratic primary for one of three contested seats on the Ohio Supreme Court will kick off a high-stakes battle for partisan control of the court this fall.
The court, which currently has a 4-3 Republican majority, holds sway over how to implement an amendment to the state constitution protecting abortion rights that voters overwhelmingly approved last year.
Ohio is one of 33 states with supreme court races this year and among the few where voters have an opportunity to flip partisan control of the court.
To do so, Democrats must sweep all three races in November, retaining two incumbents — Justices Michael Donnelly and Melody Stewart — and winning an open seat. That will be a difficult task, given that the state Supreme Court has been under Republican control since 1986 and the former swing state’s overall politics have tacked right in recent years.
But Democrats see an opening after 57% of Ohio voters backed a reproductive rights measure last fall. They plan to draw attention to the court’s influence over the amendment’s future and see the races as a possible way to chip away at the Republican Party’s longstanding control of all three branches of government in Ohio.
Only one seat is contested in Tuesday’s primary. In the Democratic primary, Lisa Forbes, a judge on the 8th District Court of Appeals, faces Judge Terri Jamison, who sits on the 10th District Court of Appeals.
The winner will face Dan Hawkins, a Republican judge of the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas, for the one open seat in November. Before becoming a judge of that court, Hawkins worked in the Franklin County prosecutor’s office and as a judge in the Franklin County Municipal Court.
Forbes, who is endorsed by the Ohio Democratic Party, has served on the 8th District Court of Appeals since 2020. Before then, she was a partner at a Cleveland office of a national law firm, where she focused on business and consumer class-action law.
Jamison, who won 43% of the vote in a 2022 race against Ohio Supreme Court incumbent Pat Fischer, a Republican, has served on the 10th District Court of Appeals since 2020. She also served two terms as judge of the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas Domestic Relations and Juvenile Division, was a public defender in Franklin County and started her own law firm. If elected, Jamison would be the third Black woman to serve on the Ohio Supreme Court.
During their campaigns, both candidates have hinted at the importance of building a Democratic majority on the court.
“The Supreme Court needs to be an effective firewall to protect our democracy, our constitutional rights and the rule of law,” Forbes said in a campaign ad. “I will never bend to political pressure, and I will always stand up for your rights.”
Jamison said in a campaign ad that the Ohio Supreme Court “should be accessible to everyone, not just the wealthy or powerful.”
“It can provide checks and balances to those who overreach or abuse power,” she said.
Besides abortion, redistricting, public education, health care, the environment and criminal justice may also arise as campaign issues.
Forbes and Jamison are seeking their party’s nomination for the seat to which Republican Joe Deters was appointed by the governor in 2022.
Deters has decided to challenge Justice Melody Stewart, a Democrat, for her seat instead, where the term runs through 2030 — four years longer than what’s available on his current seat. The incumbent-versus-incumbent primary would tend to favor the Republican, given the state’s politics.
In the third court race, Democratic Justice Michael Donnelly will face Hamilton County Common Pleas Court Judge Megan Shanahan, a Republican, in November’s general election. Stewart and Donnelly were elected to the then-all-Republican court in 2018.
__
The Associated Press receives support from several private foundations to enhance its explanatory coverage of elections and democracy. See more about AP’s democracy initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
veryGood! (2)
Related
- Flurry of contract deals come as railroads, unions see Trump’s election looming over talks
- Watch live: NASA set to reveal how Boeing Starliner astronauts will return to Earth
- The Best Gifts for Every Virgo in Your Life
- Captain of Bayesian, Mike Lynch's sunken superyacht, under investigation in Italy
- What’s the secret to growing strong, healthy nails?
- The Bachelorette’s Andi Dorfman and Husband Blaine Hart Reveal Sex of First Baby
- Lake Mary, Florida, rallies to beat Taiwan 2-1 in 8 innings to win Little League World Series title
- Daughter of ex-MLB pitcher Greg Swindell reported missing, multi-state search underway
- Former NFL coach Jack Del Rio charged with operating vehicle while intoxicated
- Lando Norris outruns Max Verstappen to win F1 Dutch Grand Prix
Ranking
- 'Cowboy Carter' collaborators to be first country artists to perform at Rolling Loud
- Sierra Nevada mountains see dusting of snow in August
- Lily Allen responds to backlash after returning adopted dog who ate her passport
- Olympic star Mondo Duplantis breaks pole vault world record again, has priceless reaction
- Stocks soared on news of Trump's election. Bonds sank. Here's why.
- TikToker Jools Lebron Shuts Down Haters With Very Demure Response
- Double-duty Danny Jansen plays for both teams in one MLB game. Here’s how
- Washington Commanders will replace criticized Sean Taylor installation with statue
Recommendation
-
Teachers in 3 Massachusetts communities continue strike over pay, paid parental leave
-
Watch these compelling canine tales on National Dog Day
-
Arizona home fire kills 2, including a child, and injures 3
-
Walz’s exit from Minnesota National Guard left openings for critics to pounce on his military record
-
Kate Hudson and Goldie Hawn’s SKIMS Holiday Pajamas Are Selling Out Fast—Here’s What’s Still Available
-
Lake Mary, Florida wins Little League World Series over Chinese Taipei in extra innings on walk-off bunt, error
-
Some think rumors of Beyoncé performing at the DNC was a scheme for ratings: Here's why
-
Little League World Series live: Updates, Highlights for LLWS games Sunday