Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals

	Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals
	Court information
Judges:	12
Salary:	Associates: $178,108
	Judicial selection
Method:	Partisan election of judges
Term:	6 years

Districts of the Ohio District Courts of Appeals

The Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals is one of 12 intermediate appellate court districts in Ohio. It is based in Cleveland and presides over Cuyahoga County, Ohio.^[1]

Published opinions of the Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals can be found here.

Judges

Judge	Tenure	Appointed By
Sean Gallagher	February 9, 2003 - Present	Elected
Kathleen Ann Keough	2011 - Present	Elected
Mary Kilbane	2005 - Present	Elected
Eileen T. Gallagher	2013 - Present	Elected
Michelle Sheehan	January 2, 2019 - Present	Elected
Anita Laster Mays	2015 - Present	Elected
Emanuella Groves	February 11, 2021 - Present	Elected
Lisa Forbes	January 1, 2021 - Present	Elected
Michael John Ryan	December 19, 2022 - Present	Elected
Eileen A. Gallagher	February 9, 2011 - Present	Elected
Mary Boyle	2006 - Present	Elected
Deena R. Calabrese	January 1, 2025 - Present	Elected

Salary

See also: Ohio court salaries and budgets

In 2025, the associate judges of the court received a salary of $178,108, according to the National Center for State Courts.^[3]

Judicial selection

See also: Judicial selection in Ohio

The judges of the Ohio District Courts of Appeal 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.^[4]^[5] The number of judges on the court of appeals varies by district over time, based on district size and caseload. Each district has between four and 12 judges.^[6]

All judges serve six-year terms, after which they are required to run for re-election if they wish to remain on the court. District courts of appeal candidates are chosen in their respective appellate districts.^[7]

Qualifications

To serve on the Ohio District Courts of Appeals, 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;
a judge of a court of record in any jurisdiction in the U.S.; and
be under the age of 70.^[8]

Presiding judge

The manner in which the presiding judge is chosen for each appellate district varies among the districts.^[9]

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.^[7]

Elections

Term starts 02/09/2031

There are no official candidates yet for this election.

Term starts 01/03/2031

There are no official candidates yet for this election.

Term starts 01/02/2031

There are no official candidates yet for this election.

Term starts 01/01/2031

There are no official candidates yet for this election.

Term starts 01/01/2029

There are no official candidates yet for this election.

Term starts 01/02/2029

There are no official candidates yet for this election.

Term starts 01/03/2029

There are no official candidates yet for this election.

Term starts 02/09/2029

There are no official candidates yet for this election.

Term starts 02/09/2027

There are no official candidates yet for this election.

Term starts 02/10/2027

There are no official candidates yet for this election.

Term starts 02/12/2027

There are no official candidates yet for this election.

Term starts 02/11/2027

There are no official candidates yet for this election.

Term starts 01/03/2025

General election

General election for Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals

Incumbent Eileen T. Gallagher (D) won election in the general election for Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Eileen T. Gallagher (D)	100.0	332,874

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 332,874
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary

Democratic primary for Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals

Incumbent Eileen T. Gallagher (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals on March 19, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Eileen T. Gallagher	100.0	77,494

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 77,494
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary

The Republican primary scheduled for March 19, 2024, was canceled.

Term starts 01/01/2025

General election

General election for Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals

Deena R. Calabrese (D) won election in the general election for Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Deena R. Calabrese (D)	100.0	346,932

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 346,932
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary

Democratic primary for Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals

Deena R. Calabrese (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals on March 19, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Deena R. Calabrese	100.0	76,185

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 76,185
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary

The Republican primary scheduled for March 19, 2024, was canceled.

Term starts 01/02/2025

General election

General election for Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals

Incumbent Michelle Sheehan (D) won election in the general election for Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Michelle Sheehan (D)	100.0	337,353

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 337,353
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary

Democratic primary for Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals

Incumbent Michelle Sheehan (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals on March 19, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Michelle Sheehan	100.0	76,105

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 76,105
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary

The Republican primary scheduled for March 19, 2024, was canceled.

Term starts 02/09/2025

General election

General election for Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals

Incumbent Mary Boyle (D) won election in the general election for Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mary Boyle (D)	100.0	328,332

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 328,332
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary

Democratic primary for Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals

Incumbent Mary Boyle (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals on March 19, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mary Boyle	100.0	78,049

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 78,049
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary

The Republican primary scheduled for March 19, 2024, was canceled.

Regular election: Mary Kilbane's seat

General election

General election for Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals

Incumbent Mary Kilbane (D) won election in the general election for Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Mary Kilbane (D)	100.0	269,100

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 269,100
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary

Democratic primary for Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals

Incumbent Mary Kilbane (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals on May 3, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Mary Kilbane	100.0	64,622

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 64,622
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary

The Republican primary scheduled for May 3, 2022, was canceled.

Regular election: Lisa Forbes' seat

General election

General election for Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals

Incumbent Lisa Forbes (D) won election in the general election for Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Lisa Forbes (D)	100.0	264,878

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 264,878
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary

Democratic primary for Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals

Incumbent Lisa Forbes (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals on May 3, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Lisa Forbes	100.0	65,571

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 65,571
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary

The Republican primary scheduled for May 3, 2022, was canceled.

Regular election: Kathleen Ann Keough's seat

General election

General election for Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals

Incumbent Kathleen Ann Keough (D) won election in the general election for Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Kathleen Ann Keough (D)	100.0	250,596

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 250,596
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary

Democratic primary for Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals

Incumbent Kathleen Ann Keough (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals on May 3, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Kathleen Ann Keough	100.0	61,290

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 61,290
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary

The Republican primary scheduled for May 3, 2022, was canceled.

Special election: Cornelius O'Sullivan's sea

General election

Special general election for Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals

Michael John Ryan (D) defeated incumbent Cornelius O'Sullivan (R) in the special general election for Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals on November 8, 2022.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Michael John Ryan (D)	66.0	249,113
	Cornelius O'Sullivan (R)	34.0	128,380

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 377,493
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary

Special Democratic primary for Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals

Michael John Ryan (D) advanced from the special Democratic primary for Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals on May 3, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Michael John Ryan	100.0	60,625

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 60,625
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary

Special Republican primary for Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals

Incumbent Cornelius O'Sullivan (R) advanced from the special Republican primary for Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals on May 3, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Cornelius O'Sullivan	100.0	32,257

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 32,257
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Regular election: Eileen Gallagher's seat

General election

General election for Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals

Incumbent Eileen A. Gallagher (D) won election in the general election for Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Eileen A. Gallagher (D)	100.0	251,158

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 251,158
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary

Democratic primary for Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals

Incumbent Eileen A. Gallagher (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals on May 3, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Eileen A. Gallagher	100.0	64,017

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 64,017
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary

The Republican primary scheduled for May 3, 2022, was canceled.

Commencing 2/11/2021

General election

General election for Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals

Emanuella Groves (Nonpartisan) defeated Pamela Hawkins (Nonpartisan) in the general election for Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Emanuella Groves (Nonpartisan)	57.7	268,276
	Submit photo	Pamela Hawkins (Nonpartisan)	42.3	196,405

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 464,681
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary

Democratic primary for Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals

Emanuella Groves (D) defeated Gayle Williams-Byers (D), Denise Nancy Rini (D), and Hugh Carlin (D) in the Democratic primary for Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals on April 28, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Emanuella Groves	42.6	49,836
	Submit photo	Gayle Williams-Byers	20.3	23,736
		Denise Nancy Rini	19.3	22,615
	Submit photo	Hugh Carlin	17.7	20,702

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 116,889
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary

Republican primary for Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals

Pamela Hawkins (R) advanced from the Republican primary for Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals on April 28, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Pamela Hawkins	100.0	28,674

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 28,674
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Commencing 2/12/2021

General election

General election for Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals

Incumbent Anita Laster Mays (Nonpartisan) won election in the general election for Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Anita Laster Mays (Nonpartisan)	100.0	324,766

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 324,766
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary

Democratic primary for Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals

Incumbent Anita Laster Mays (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals on April 28, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Anita Laster Mays	100.0	92,609

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 92,609
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary

The Republican primary scheduled for April 28, 2020, was canceled.

Commencing 2/10/2021

General election

General election for Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals

Incumbent Larry A. Jones (Nonpartisan) won election in the general election for Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Larry A. Jones (Nonpartisan)	100.0	341,649

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 341,649
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary

Democratic primary for Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals

Incumbent Larry A. Jones (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals on April 28, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Larry A. Jones	100.0	95,498

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 95,498
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary

The Republican primary scheduled for April 28, 2020, was canceled.

Commencing 2/9/2021

General election

General election for Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals

Incumbent Sean Gallagher (Nonpartisan) won election in the general election for Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Sean Gallagher (Nonpartisan)	100.0	356,192

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 356,192
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary

Democratic primary for Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals

Incumbent Sean Gallagher (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals on April 28, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Sean Gallagher	100.0	95,724

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 95,724
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary

The Republican primary scheduled for April 28, 2020, was canceled.

Unexpired Term Ending 1/1/2023

General election

General election for Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals

Lisa Forbes (Nonpartisan) defeated incumbent Raymond Headen (Nonpartisan) in the general election for Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals on November 3, 2020.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Lisa Forbes (Nonpartisan)	71.0	326,112
	Raymond Headen (Nonpartisan)	29.0	133,072

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 459,184
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary

Democratic primary for Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals

Lisa Forbes (D) defeated Gabriella Rosalina (D), James W. Satola (D), and Alyson Monroe Brown (D) in the Democratic primary for Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals on April 28, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Lisa Forbes	56.0	67,918
	Submit photo	Gabriella Rosalina	31.2	37,814
		James W. Satola	6.8	8,217
	Submit photo	Alyson Monroe Brown	6.1	7,415

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 121,364
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary

Republican primary for Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals

Incumbent Raymond Headen (R) advanced from the Republican primary for Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals on April 28, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Raymond Headen	100.0	29,198

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 29,198
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Term Commencing 1/3/2019; Gallagher's Seat

General election

General election for Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals

Incumbent Eileen T. Gallagher (D) won election in the general election for Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Eileen T. Gallagher (D)	100.0	275,986

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 275,986
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary

Democratic primary for Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals

Incumbent Eileen T. Gallagher (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals on May 8, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Eileen T. Gallagher	100.0	86,585

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 86,5850
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Term Commencing 1/2/2019; McCormack's Seat

General election

General election for Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals

Michelle Sheehan (D) defeated Raymond Headen (R) in the general election for Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals on November 6, 2018.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Michelle Sheehan (D)	74.2	281,204
	Raymond Headen (R)	25.8	97,916

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 379,120
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary

Democratic primary for Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals

Michelle Sheehan (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals on May 8, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Michelle Sheehan	100.0	84,016

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 84,0160
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary

Republican primary for Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals

Raymond Headen (R) advanced from the Republican primary for Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals on May 8, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Raymond Headen	100.0	33,868

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 33,8680
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Commencing 1/1/2019 - Celebrezze's Seat

General election

General election for Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals

Incumbent Frank Celebrezze (D) won election in the general election for Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Frank Celebrezze (D)	100.0	276,766

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 276,766
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary

Democratic primary for Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals

Incumbent Frank Celebrezze (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals on May 8, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Frank Celebrezze	100.0	86,901

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 86,9010
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Term Commencing 02/09/2019; Boyle's Seat

General election

General election for Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals

Incumbent Mary Boyle (D) won election in the general election for Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mary Boyle (D)	100.0	274,395

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 274,395
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary

Democratic primary for Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals

Incumbent Mary Boyle (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals on May 8, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mary Boyle	100.0	86,572

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 86,572
= 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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Previous election results

2016

See also: Ohio judicial elections, 2016

Candidates

Judge Gallagher's seat

■ Eileen A. Gallagher (D) (Unopposed/Incumbent)

Judge Keough's seat

■ Kathleen Ann Keough (D) (Unopposed/Incumbent)

Judge Kilbane's seat

■ Mary Kilbane (D) (Unopposed/Incumbent)

Judge Stewart's seat

■ Melody Stewart (D) (Unopposed/Incumbent)

Election results

November 8 general election

Incumbent Eileen A. Gallagher ran unopposed in the general election for the Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals, Gallagher's seat.

Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals, Gallagher's Seat, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Eileen A. Gallagher Incumbent (unopposed)	100.00%	295,916
Total Votes (100% reporting)				295,916
Source: Ohio Secretary of State Official Results

Incumbent Kathleen Ann Keough ran unopposed in the general election for the Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals, Keough's seat.

Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals, Keough's Seat, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Kathleen Ann Keough Incumbent (unopposed)	100.00%	279,359
Total Votes (100% reporting)				279,359
Source: Ohio Secretary of State Official Results

Incumbent Mary Kilbane ran unopposed in the general election for the Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals, Kilbane's seat.

Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals, Kilbane's Seat, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Mary Kilbane Incumbent (unopposed)	100.00%	308,527
Total Votes (100% reporting)				308,527
Source: Ohio Secretary of State Official Results

Incumbent Melody Stewart ran unopposed in the general election for the Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals, Stewart's seat.

Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals, Stewart's Seat, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Melody Stewart Incumbent (unopposed)	100.00%	292,020
Total Votes (100% reporting)				292,020
Source: Ohio Secretary of State Official Results

March 15 primary election

Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals, Judge Gallagher's Seat Democratic Primary, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Eileen A. Gallagher Incumbent (unopposed)	100.00%	120,158
Total Votes				120,158
Source: Ohio Secretary of State Official Results

Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals, Judge Keough's Seat Democratic Primary, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Kathleen Ann Keough Incumbent (unopposed)	100.00%	111,010
Total Votes				111,010
Source: Ohio Secretary of State Official Results

Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals, Judge Kilbane's Seat Democratic Primary, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Mary Kilbane Incumbent (unopposed)	100.00%	117,713
Total Votes				117,713
Source: Ohio Secretary of State Official Results

Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals, Judge Stewart's Seat Democratic Primary, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Melody Stewart Incumbent (unopposed)	100.00%	116,630
Total Votes				116,630
Source: Ohio Secretary of State Official Results

2014

See also: Ohio judicial elections, 2014

Unopposed	Judge Sean Gallagher (Term commencing 2/9/2015)

Unopposed	Judge Larry A. Jones Sr. (Term commencing 2/10/2015)

Unopposed	Judge Patricia Blackmon (Term commencing 2/11/2015)

Term commencing 2/12/2015

Candidate	Incumbency	Party	Primary Vote	Election Vote
CorriganBrian Corrigan	No	Democratic	41.1%
MaysAnita Laster Mays A	No	Democratic	58.8%A	A

2012

See also: Ohio judicial elections, 2012

Candidate	Incumbency	Party	Term	Primary Vote	Election Vote
GallagherEileen T. Gallagher A	No	Democratic		88%A	100% A
HarveyElizabeth Harvey	No	Republican	Term commencing 1/2/2013	39.1%
O'TooleErin M. O'Toole	No	Democratic	Term commencing 1/2/2013	8.9%
CelebrezzeFrank Celebrezze A	No	Democratic			100% A
CompoliJoseph Compoli	No	Democratic	Term commencing 1/3/2013	11.9%
DykeLori Anne Dyke	No	Democratic	Term commencing 1/2/2013	9.1%
BoyleMary Boyle A	Yes	Democratic			100% A
SikoraPeter Sikora	No	Democratic	Term commencing 1/2/2013	25.1%
McCormackTimothy McCormack A	No	Democratic		29.9%A	71.81% A

2010

See also: Ohio judicial elections, 2010

Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals 2010 elections
Court	Candidates	Details	Results
Eighth District, Term Commencing January 1	(D): Mary Kilbane	Mary Kilbane was up for re-election.	Mary Kilbane^[10]
Eighth District, Term Commencing January 2	(D): Melody Stewart	Melody Stewart was up for re-election.	Melody Stewart^[10]
Eighth District, Term Commencing January 3	(D): Lori Anne Dyke, Michael Fisher, Margaret Gardner, Kathleen Ann Keough, Rob Shea and Ronald Sustar (R): Brian Moriarty	Kathleen Ann Keough and Brian Moriarty competed in the general election.^[10]	Kathleen Ann Keough won with 63.7 percent of the vote.
Eighth District, Term Commencing February 9	(R): Elizabeth Harvey (D): Eileen Gallagher		Eileen Gallagher won with 70.4 percent of the vote.

Ethics

The Ohio Code of Judicial Conduct sets forth ethical guidelines and principles for the conduct of judges and judicial candidates in Ohio. It consists of four overarching canons:

Canon 1: "A judge shall uphold and promote the independence, integrity, and impartiality of the judiciary, and shall avoid impropriety and the appearance of impropriety."
Canon 2: "A judge shall perform the duties of judicial office impartially, competently, and diligently."
Canon 3: "A judge shall conduct the judge’s personal and extrajudicial activities so as to minimize the risk of conflict with the obligations of judicial office."
Canon 4: "A judge or judicial candidate shall not engage in political or campaign activity that is inconsistent with the independence, integrity, or impartiality of the judiciary."^[11]

The full text of the Ohio Code of Judicial Conduct can be found here.

Removal of judges

Judges in Ohio may be removed in one of three ways:^[12]^[13]

Retirement, removal or suspension by a special Supreme Court commission.
Removal by a concurrent resolution of two-thirds of the members of both houses of the Ohio General Assembly.
Conviction by a two-thirds vote of the Ohio Senate, upon impeachment by a majority vote of the Ohio House of Representatives.

State profile

Demographic data for Ohio
	Ohio	U.S.
Total population:	11,605,090	316,515,021
Land area (sq mi):	40,861	3,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White:	82.4%	73.6%
Black/African American:	12.2%	12.6%
Asian:	1.9%	5.1%
Native American:	0.2%	0.8%
Pacific Islander:	0%	0.2%
Two or more:	2.5%	3%
Hispanic/Latino:	3.4%	17.1%
Education
High school graduation rate:	89.1%	86.7%
College graduation rate:	26.1%	29.8%
Income
Median household income:	$49,429	$53,889
Persons below poverty level:	19.6%	11.3%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Ohio. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

Presidential voting pattern

See also: Presidential voting trends in Ohio

Ohio voted Republican in five out of the seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.

Pivot Counties (2016)

Ballotpedia identified 206 counties that voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012. Collectively, Trump won these Pivot Counties by more than 580,000 votes. Of these 206 counties, nine are located in Ohio, accounting for 4.37 percent of the total pivot counties.^[14]

Pivot Counties (2020)

In 2020, Ballotpedia re-examined the 206 Pivot Counties to view their voting patterns following that year's presidential election. Ballotpedia defined those won by Trump won as Retained Pivot Counties and those won by Joe Biden (D) as Boomerang Pivot Counties. Nationwide, there were 181 Retained Pivot Counties and 25 Boomerang Pivot Counties. Ohio had eight Retained Pivot Counties and one Boomerang Pivot County, accounting for 4.42 and 4.00 percent of all Retained and Boomerang Pivot Counties, respectively.

More Ohio coverage on Ballotpedia

External links

Court of Appeals of Ohio: Eighth Appellate District

Footnotes

v • e

Ohio District Courts of Appeals
Judicial selection in Ohio • 2026 elections • Ohio Supreme Court

First District

Peter Stautberg • Marilyn Zayas • Ginger Bock • Jennifer Kinsley •

Second District

Mike Fain • Jeffrey M. Welbaum • Mary Katherine Huffman • Michael L. Tucker • Chris Epley • Ronald Lewis •

Third District

John Willamowski • Richard M. Rogers (Ohio) • William R. Zimmerman • Mark Miller (Ohio court of appeals) • Juergen Waldick •

Fourth District

Peter Abele • Marie Hoover • Mike Hess • Kristy Wilkin •

Fifth District

Scott Gwin • William Hoffman • John Wise • Patricia Delaney • Andrew King (Ohio) •

Sixth District

Thomas Osowik • Gene Zmuda • Steve Yarbrough (Ohio) • Myron Duhart • Christine Mayle • Charles Sulek •

Seventh District

Cheryl Waite • Carol Ann Robb • Mark Hanni • Katelyn Dickey •

Eighth District

Mary Boyle • Sean Gallagher • Mary Kilbane • Emanuella Groves • Kathleen Ann Keough • Anita Laster Mays • Deena R. Calabrese • Eileen T. Gallagher • Timothy McCormack (Ohio) • Michael John Ryan (Ohio) • Eileen A. Gallagher • Michelle Sheehan • Lisa Forbes •

Ninth District

Carla Moore • Donna Carr • Beth Whitmore • Scot Stevenson • Betty Sutton • Jennifer Lee Hensal • Jill Flagg Lanzinger •

Tenth District

Julia L. Dorrian • Terri Jamison • Betsy Luper Schuster • David Leland • Kristin Boggs • Michael Mentel • Carly Edelstein •

Eleventh District

Mary Jane Trapp • Eugene A. Lucci • John Eklund (Ohio) • Matt Lynch • Robert Patton •

Twelfth District

Stephen Powell • Robert Hendrickson (Ohio) • Michael E. Powell (Ohio) • Robin N. Piper • Matthew Byrne •

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

[ref1-1] The Supreme Court of Ohio & The Ohio Judiciary, "Eighth District Court of Appeals," accessed February 11, 2015

[2] The salary of the chief judge may be higher than an associate judge.

[3] National Center for State Courts, "2025 Salaries and Rankings," accessed October 8, 2025

[2022update-4] Ohio Secretary of State, “Ohio Candidate Requirement Guide,” accessed December 7, 2021

[2022law-5] Ohio General Assembly, “(Senate Bill Number 80),” accessed December 7, 2021

[coa-6] Supreme Court of Ohio, "Courts of Appeal," accessed September 9, 2024

[OHgeneral-7] 7.0 ^7.1 National Center for State Courts, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Ohio," accessed September 1, 2021

[8] Ohio Laws & Administrative Rules, "Section 2501.02 | Qualification, term, and jurisdiction of appellate judges.," accessed April 12, 2023

[9] Ohio Laws & Administrative Rules, "Section 2501.06 | Presiding judge - administrative judge," accessed April 12, 2023

[sos-10] 10.0 ^10.1 ^10.2 Ohio Secretary of State, "Live Election Results"

[11] Supreme Court of Ohio, "Ohio Code of Judicial Conduct," accessed August 18, 2025

[12] Ohio Laws & Administrative Rules, "Section 2701.11 | Rules for retirement for disability, removal and suspension for cause of judges.," accessed August 19, 2025

[13] Ohio Laws & Administrative Rules, "Article IV, Section 17 | Judges removable," accessed August 19, 2025

[14] The raw data for this study was provided by Dave Leip of Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.

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[14]

Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals

Court information
Judges:	12
Salary:	Associates: $178,108^[2]
Judicial selection
Method:	Partisan election of judges
Term:	6 years

Ohio	Judicial Selection	More Courts

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