Ohio Supreme Court Reports Judicial Primary Election Results

Ohio voters will elect judges to the Supreme Court of Ohio, appeals courts, common pleas courts, and county courts this year. Seventeen races in Tuesday’s primary were contested.

While about one-third of the contested races were on the ballot in Cuyahoga County, only one race statewide featured at least two candidates from each party seeking to move ahead to November’s general election.

Lake County Common Pleas Court Judge Eugene Lucci defeated incumbent Judge Colleen O’Toole in the Republican primary for a seat on the 11th District Court of Appeals bench. Meanwhile, Thomas Wright defeated Neil Wilson, a former Painesville Municipal Court judge, to appear on the Democratic ballot in November.

Here are the remaining results of contested judicial races, according to unofficial, preliminary returns based on information supplied by county boards of elections and media reports:

Second District Court of Appeals – Montgomery County Common Pleas Court Judge Michael T. Hall defeated George B. Reynolds in the Republican primary.
Sixth District Court of Appeals – Retired Lucas County Common Pleas Court Judge Stephen Yarbrough defeated Toledo Municipal Court Judge Robert Christiansen and Ottawa County Municipal Court Judge Fritz Hany in the Republican primary.
Eighth District Court of Appeals (Jan. 3, 2011) – Cleveland Municipal Court Judge Kathleen A. Keough defeated Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court Judge Ronald Suster, Lori A. Dyke, Michael T. Fisher, Margaret M. Gardner and Rob Shea in the Democratic primary.
Eighth District Court of Appeals (Feb. 9, 2011) – Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court Judge Eileen A. Gallagher defeated Reginald Williams in the Democratic primary.
Ashland County Common Pleas Court – Ronald P. Forsthoefel defeated incumbent Judge Deborah E. Woodward in the Republican primary.
Clermont County Common Pleas Court – Clermont County Municipal Court Judge Thomas R. Herman defeated Daniel J. Breyer in the Republican primary.
Coshocton County Common Pleas Court – Bob Batchelor defeated Van Blanchard in the Republican primary.
Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court (Jan. 11, 2011) – Incumbent Judge Bridget M. McCafferty defeated James W. Satola in the Democratic primary.
Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court (Jan. 8, 2011) – Maureen Clancy defeated Cassandra Collier-Williams, John F. Corrigan and Cullen Sweeney in the Democratic primary.
Cuyahoga County Domestic Relations Court – Incumbent Judge Rosemary Grdina Gold defeated Gayle Williams-Byers, Daniel P. Corrigan, Michael A. Dolan, Lynn McLaughlin-Murray and Carl C. Monastra in the Democratic primary.
Cuyahoga County Juvenile Court – Incumbent Judge Peter M. Sikora defeated Almeta A. Johnson in the Democratic primary.
Greene County Common Pleas Court – Mike Buckwalter defeated Raymond Dundes and David Mesaros in the Republican primary.
Hamilton County Juvenile Court – Tracie Hunter defeated Daniel J. Donnellon in the Democratic primary.
Licking County Common Pleas Court – Robert Morris defeated Brian Waltz in the Republican primary.
Wayne County Common Pleas Court – Corey E. Spitler defeated Martin H. Frantz in the Republican primary.
All judges in Ohio are elected to six-year terms. Elections for municipal court judgeships occur in odd-numbered years.

For more information about the candidates on the ballot, consult one of Ohio’s 88 county boards of elections.

Staff at the Supreme Court assembles the election results from the local county boards of elections for administrative purposes, to communicate with new judges about payroll, benefits and other information.

Contact: Chris Davey or Bret Crow, 614.387.9250.