Jennifer L. Brunner
2021 - Present
2027
4
Jennifer L. Brunner (Democratic Party) is a judge of the Ohio Supreme Court. She assumed office on January 2, 2021. Her current term ends on January 1, 2027.
Brunner (Democratic Party) ran for re-election for Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice. She lost in the general election on November 8, 2022.
Brunner completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. Click here to read the survey answers.
To read more about judicial selection in Ohio, click here.
Biography
Jennifer Brunner was born in Springfield, Ohio.[1] Brunner earned a bachelor's degree from Miami University in Ohio in 1978 and a J.D. from Capital University Law School in 1983.[1][2] Her career experience includes working as an attorney in private practice.[2] Brunner has served as a board chairperson with the Legacy Fund of The Columbus Foundation and has been a member of Sisters of the Planet Ambassador for Oxfam America and the Ohio Advisory Committee for U.S. Global Leadership Fund.[1] Brunner was a judge on the Ohio Tenth District Court of Appeals from 2015 to 2021. She was elected to the court on November 4, 2014, to serve out the remainder of Judith French's unexpired term through December 31, 2016.[3] She was elected in 2016 to a full six-year term. She joined the state Supreme Court in 2021 when she defeated Justice Judith French in the 2020 general election.
Elections
2022
See also: Ohio Supreme Court elections, 2022
General election
General election for Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice
Incumbent Sharon L. Kennedy defeated incumbent Jennifer L. Brunner in the general election for Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Sharon L. Kennedy (R) | 56.1 | 2,307,415 |
 | Jennifer L. Brunner (D)  | 43.9 | 1,807,133 | |
| Total votes: 4,114,548 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice
Incumbent Jennifer L. Brunner advanced from the Democratic primary for Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice on May 3, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Jennifer L. Brunner | 100.0 | 445,711 |
| Total votes: 445,711 | |||
| = 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 Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice
Incumbent Sharon L. Kennedy advanced from the Republican primary for Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice on May 3, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Sharon L. Kennedy | 100.0 | 814,717 |
| Total votes: 814,717 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
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Campaign finance
Endorsements
To view Brunner's endorsements in the 2022 election, please click here.
2020
See also: Ohio Supreme Court elections, 2020
General election
General election for Ohio Supreme Court
Jennifer L. Brunner defeated incumbent Judith French in the general election for Ohio Supreme Court on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Jennifer L. Brunner (Nonpartisan) | 55.3 | 2,695,072 |
 | Judith French (Nonpartisan) | 44.7 | 2,174,820 | |
| Total votes: 4,869,892 | |||
| = 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 Ohio Supreme Court
Jennifer L. Brunner advanced from the Democratic primary for Ohio Supreme Court on April 28, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Jennifer L. Brunner | 100.0 | 675,231 |
| Total votes: 675,231 | |||
| = 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 Ohio Supreme Court
Incumbent Judith French advanced from the Republican primary for Ohio Supreme Court on April 28, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Judith French | 100.0 | 618,739 |
| Total votes: 618,739 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Campaign finance
2016
- Main article: Ohio judicial elections, 2016
Brunner filed to run for the Ohio Tenth District Court of Appeals. No candidate filed to run against her.[4]
Election results
November 8 general election
| Ohio Tenth District Court of Appeals, Brunner's Seat, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |  Jennifer L. Brunner Incumbent (unopposed) |
100.00% | 340,698 | |
| Total Votes (100% reporting) | 340,698 | |||
| Source: Ohio Secretary of State Official Results | ||||
March 15 primary election
| Ohio Tenth District Court of Appeals, Judge Brunner's Seat Democratic Primary, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Jennifer L. Brunner Incumbent (unopposed) |
100.00% | 108,298 | |
| Total Votes | 108,298 | |||
| Source: Ohio Secretary of State Official Results | ||||
2014
- See also: Ohio judicial elections, 2014
Brunner ran for election to the 10th District Court of Appeals.
She defeated Amy O'Grady in the general election on November 4, 2014, receiving 53.1 percent of the vote.[3]
Campaign themes
2022
Video for Ballotpedia
| Video submitted to Ballotpedia Released October 4, 2022 |
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Jennifer L. Brunner completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Brunner's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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Ohio is a very diverse state with deep rural roots, storied urban communities and countless small and middle sized towns and cities. I take seriously my responsibility as one of seven people elected to do justice for all the people of Ohio. I am grateful for what I’ve learned from Ohioans in my many years of service to them, working at three levels of the state’s courts and as Ohio’s first female secretary of state. Administrative and policy leadership of the court is not about an ideology of who should win and who should lose. It is about a belief and understanding that courts are only as effective as people believe them to be. Good judges and fair courts can lift the confidence Ohioans have in their judiciary. And that confidence makes our courts more effective.
I know that courts can do good things for people—protect their health, safety and welfare—with fairness, equality and respect. And I am committed to doing this every day now and as Chief Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court.I am further committed to using the power of the court to help lift the vision of all judges of the state to why we serve and the power we have to do good for all Ohioans.
- I’m running for Chief Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court because justice matters for every Ohioan. I am currently a justice of the Ohio Supreme Court and have the administrative experience and a vision for leading all of Ohio's courts.
- Steady, experienced and principled leadership of the state’s highest court is essential to helping Ohioans realize justice in their everyday lives. Politics does not belong in courts. That's why every decision I've authored since being on the court has had bipartisan support.
- I know that courts can do good things for people—protect their health, safety and welfare—with fairness, equality and respect. And I am committed to doing this every day now and as Chief Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court.
As the only candidate in the race who with experience managing a statewide office in Ohio and supervising local government activities in every county of this state, my policy agenda to lead Ohio’s judiciary as Ohio’s next Chief Justice is organized around this philosophy: "Courts belong to the people."
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.
2020
Jennifer L. Brunner completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Brunner's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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I have been privileged to assist foreign governments with rule of law and self-governance matters on behalf of the U.S. State Department through USAID, including anti-corruption and judicial reform consulting in the Republic of Serbia, election observation in the Arab Republic of Egypt and providing legal training in the Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka.
I have been married since 1978 to attorney Rick Brunner. We have three adult children and five grandchildren.
Under the state constitution's newly voter-adopted amendments for drawing new district lines for the state and designed to end Ohio's system of partisan gerrymandering, any Ohio Supreme Court review of newly drawn state legislative and Congressional districts should ensure fairness and faithfulness to the language of the Ohio Constitution.
The Ohio Supreme Court is in a strong position to work with Ohio courts and others in the state's criminal justice system to help end racism in that system, starting with a transparent, public database of criminal arrests, charges, prosecutions, convictions and sentencing by Ohio judges, according to demographic factors such as race, gender, LGBTQ, income zip code, education and more.
- Access to justice means many things: access for people who can't afford an attorney, giving people their day in court and not shortening the process with decisions that improperly deny a trial, and readily offering mediation for a satisfactory outcome for the parties and to reduce litigation costs.
strengthening the rule of law in Ohio. The people of Ohio speak through their state constitution, establishing the courts, but assigning to the legislature the expression of courts' jurisdiction. My philosophy is one of strict observance of the separation powers, so that the balance between those powers necessary for a healthy democracy is preserved and protected. I do not strive for popularity of my work, but rather, to protect the Ohio and U.S. constitutions and the rights afforded by them to the people. A ruling should not be result-oriented, but rather, one that looks to how the law may apply in the future for the greater good. For example, to deny an appeal to a bad actor, simply because what they have done is egregious, denies a future appeal to someone who needs it. As a judge and as a prospective justice, it is my duty to increase public confidence in the judiciary by protecting a fair and impartial rule of law, using judicial discretion wisely so the rule of law helps people and does not hurt them.
Judicial officers in their public roles must not make any public statement that might reasonably be expected to affect the outcome or impair the fairness of a matter pending or impending in any court, or make any nonpublic statement that might substantially interfere with a fair trial or hearing. Nor may judicial officers in connection with cases, controversies, or issues that are likely to come before the court, make pledges, promises, or commitments that are inconsistent with the impartial performance of the adjudicative duties of judicial office.
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.
Noteworthy cases
Ohio Supreme Court limits Chevron deference (2023)
- See also: Chevron deference
The Ohio Supreme Court on December 29, 2022, ruled against applications of Chevron deference in the state. In TWISM Ents., L.L.C. v. State Bd. of Registration for Professional Engineers & Surveyors, the court found that state courts do not need to defer to state agency interpretations of the law—a deference doctrine known as Chevron deference at the federal level.[5]
Lower courts in TWISM deferred to the Ohio Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Surveyors’ interpretation of its engineering certification rules, which denied TWISM Enterprises’ application to provide professional engineering services because the company’s designated licensed engineer was an independent contractor rather than an employee. TWISM Enterprises appealed the decision to the Ohio Supreme Court, arguing that the agency’s interpretation of the governing statute was flawed because the law does not specify that the licensed engineer must be an employee of the business.[5]
Justice Pat DeWine (with Justices Sharon L. Kennedy, Pat Fischer, and Michael P. Donnelly concurring) disagreed with the agency’s interpretation of the statute and argued that the judicial branch has the authority to determine whether the statutory interpretations of state agencies are lawful. DeWine, writing for the court, argued “that it is the role of the judiciary, not administrative agencies, to make the ultimate determination about what the law means. Thus, the judicial branch is never required to defer to an agency's interpretation of the law.” DeWine added that “an agency interpretation is simply one consideration a court may sometimes take into account in rendering the court's own independent judgment as to what the law is.”[5]
Justices Maureen O’Connor, Melody Stewart, and Jennifer Brunner concurred in the judgment only.[5]
State supreme court judicial selection in Ohio
- See also: Judicial selection in Ohio
The seven justices of the Ohio Supreme Court are selected through partisan primaries and partisan general elections. Previously, these judges were selected through partisan primaries and nonpartisan general elections, known as the Michigan method.[6][7][8]
All judges serve six-year terms, after which they are required to run for re-election if they wish to remain on the court.[8]
Qualifications
To serve on the Ohio Supreme Court, a judge must:
- have at least six years in the practice of law;
- be licensed to practice law in the state for at least one year preceding appointment or commencement of the judge's term;
- be a judge of a court of record in any jurisdiction in the U.S.; or and
- be under the age of 70.[9]
Chief justice
The chief justice of the Ohio Supreme Court is chosen by voters at large, serving a full six-year term in that capacity.[8]
Vacancies
In the event of a midterm vacancy, the governor appoints a replacement. The appointee serves until the next general election taking place 40 or more days after the vacancy occurred. If re-elected, the judge serves the remainder of his or her predecessor's unexpired term.[8]
The map below highlights how vacancies are filled in state supreme courts across the country.
See also
External links
|
Candidate Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice |
Officeholder Ohio Supreme Court |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on September 7, 2020
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Jennifer Brunner For Judge, "About Jennifer Brunner," archived June 2, 2015
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Ohio Secretary of State, "2014 Election Results," archived May 2, 2015 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "elec" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ [Ohio Secretary of State candidate list, received by email]
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Supreme Court of Ohio, "TWISM Ents., L.L.C. v. State Bd. of Registration for Professional Engineers & Surveyors," December 29, 2022
- ↑ Ohio Secretary of State, “Ohio Candidate Requirement Guide,” accessed December 7, 2021
- ↑ Ohio General Assembly, “(Senate Bill Number 80),” accessed December 7, 2021
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 National Center for State Courts, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Ohio," accessed September 1, 2021
- ↑ Ohio Laws & Administrative Rules, "Section 2503.01 | Composition of supreme court; qualifications for justices.," accessed April 12, 2023
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
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