Alan Triggs

Alan Triggs

Democratic Party

Candidate, Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas General Division

Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas General Division

Tenure

2021 - Present

Term ends

2027

Years in position

5

Prior offices:

Hamilton County Municipal Court District 2

Years in office: 2018 - 2021

---

Report an officeholder change

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 3, 2020

Next election

May 5, 2026

Education

Bachelor's

University of Memphis, 1991

Law

University of Akron School of Law, 1994

Personal

Birthplace

Cincinnati, OH

Religion

Non-denominational Christian

Profession

Judge

Alan Triggs (Democratic Party) is a judge of the Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas General Division in Ohio. He assumed office on February 10, 2021. His current term ends on February 9, 2027.

Triggs (Democratic Party) is running for re-election for judge of the Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas General Division in Ohio. He is on the ballot in the Democratic primary on May 5, 2026.^[source]

Biography

Triggs was born on January 9, 1970, in Cincinnati, Ohio. He graduated from the University of Memphis with a bachelor's degree in 1991. He went on to obtain his J.D. from the University of Akron School of Law in 1994. Triggs' professional experience includes serving as a judge in the Hamilton County Municipal Court.

Elections

2026

See also: Municipal elections in Hamilton County, Ohio (2026)

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.

Democratic primary

Democratic primary for Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas General Division

Incumbent Alan Triggs (D) is running in the Democratic primary for Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas General Division on May 5, 2026.

		Candidate
	Submit photo	Alan Triggs

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary

Republican primary for Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas General Division

Dennis Mahoney (R) is running in the Republican primary for Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas General Division on May 5, 2026.

		Candidate
	Submit photo	Dennis Mahoney

---

	There are no incumbents in this race.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Endorsements

Ballotpedia is gathering information about candidate endorsements. To send us an endorsement, click here.

2020

See also: Municipal elections in Hamilton County, Ohio (2020)

General election

General election for Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas General Division

Alan Triggs defeated Stacey DeGraffenreid in the general election for Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas General Division on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Alan Triggs (Nonpartisan)	54.9	198,818
	Submit photo	Stacey DeGraffenreid (Nonpartisan)	45.1	163,225

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 362,043
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas General Division

Alan Triggs advanced from the Democratic primary for Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas General Division on April 28, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Alan Triggs	100.0	55,728

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 55,728
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas General Division

Stacey DeGraffenreid advanced from the Republican primary for Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas General Division on April 28, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Stacey DeGraffenreid	100.0	31,618

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 31,618
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2017

See also: Ohio local judicial elections, 2017

Ohio held local judicial elections for municipal jurisdiction trial courts on November 7, 2017. Ballotpedia provided coverage of the municipal court elections that took place within the largest cities by population in Ohio. Alan Triggs defeated Elisa Murphy and Rodney Harris in the general election for District 2 on the Hamilton County Municipal Court.

Hamilton County Municipal Court, District 2 General Election, 2017
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Alan Triggs	49.00%	10,021
Elisa Murphy	28.24%	5,775
Rodney Harris	22.77%	4,657
Total Votes		20,453
Source: Hamilton County Board of Elections, "2017 General Election Official Results," November 22, 2017

Selection method

See also: Nonpartisan election of judges

The judges of the Ohio Municipal Courts are each elected to six-year terms. The elections for this court are nonpartisan contested elections with partisan primaries. To serve on this court, a judge must be a resident of the municipality, licensed in the state, and practice law for six years or serve as a judge of court of record.

Campaign themes

2026

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Alan Triggs has not yet completed Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey. If you are Alan Triggs, click here to fill out Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey.

Who fills out Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey?

Any candidate running for elected office, at any level, can complete Ballotpedia's Candidate Survey. Completing the survey will update the candidate's Ballotpedia profile, letting voters know who they are and what they stand for.  More than 25,000 candidates have taken Ballotpedia's candidate survey since we launched it in 2015. Learn more about the survey here.

Help improve Ballotpedia - send us candidate contact info.

2020

Alan Triggs completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Triggs' responses.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Judge Alan C. Triggs is a first-generation college and law school graduate. He was born and raised in the inner city of Cincinnati (Bond Hill) and is a graduate of Walnut Hills High School. In only three years, he obtained his B.S. degree in Finance and Accounting from Memphis State University. He immediately followed his undergraduate achievement and received his law degree from the University of Akron. Lastly, with the initial goal of becoming a Tax Attorney, he acquired an advanced law degree, LLM in Business Law. Prior to becoming a Judge, he was licensed to practice law in the states of Ohio, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Georgia, and in the Federal Courts of Ohio and Colorado. His public service began as Assistant City of Cincinnati Prosecutor. After three years, he was appointed as a Magistrate Judge in Municipal Court where he served for 11 years. He then worked in the private sector as General Counsel for a company for 6 years before returning to public service when he was elected to his current seat as Municipal Court Judge. His well-rounded experience in both criminal and civil law has been the key to his success in efficiently administering justice and maintaining the most streamlined docket. He is improving the public's opinion of elected officials by providing an office that aggressively seeks fair and equitable outcomes. He has a proven track record of giving every litigant his full attention and patience.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Judge Triggs is in favor of treatment over incarceration.
• Judge Triggs is committed to scaling back and eliminating the use of cash bonds for individuals accused of low-level crimes.
• Judge Triggs is committed to providing equal access to the courts .

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

For the past quarter-century, Judge Triggs has worked tirelessly to make a difference at the Hamilton County Courthouse. If you ever have to appear before him, you will leave knowing know that he is in favor of treatment over incarceration; promotes racial equity; committed to scaling back and eliminating the use of cash bonds for individuals accused of low-level crimes; promotes a diverse judiciary; and provides equal access to the courts.
Justice is not something that can be taught. It is a feeling that stems from the combination of life experiences and education in the law that tells you that something is not right and that a change needs to be made.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

The book/film that describes my judicial/political philosophy is "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I would like to be known for helping others. I was raised by a single mother. I know how hard that was for her. I want to give back in a way that will help others to reach heights that appeared to be unachievable. I know growing up, no one would have believed that I would be a lawyer, and especially not a judge.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My first job was a bagel maker at a restaurant in the mall. I worked there for 2 years. I learned that bagels have to be boiled before baking in order to get the crispy exterior and the soft middle.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Michael Jackson "Man in the Mirror"

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

External links

Search Google News for this topic

Footnotes

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