Ohio Supreme Court elections, 2014
Election highlightsThe two Republican justices up for election in 2014 won their races, keeping the partisan balance of the Ohio Supreme Court at six Republicans and one Democrat. |
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| Judicial Elections |
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| Judicial elections, 2014 |
| Judicial election dates |
| Candidates by state |
| Supreme court elections |
Results
Blue represents the Democratic Party and red represents the Republican Party in the graphics below.
| French seat | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | |||
Judith French  | 56.0% | |||
John P. O'Donnell  | 44.0% | |||
| 99.87% of precincts reporting[1] | ||||
| Incumbent | Judith French | |||
| Winner | Judith French | |||
| Kennedy seat | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | |||
| Sharon L. Kennedy | 72.6% | |||
| Tom Letson | 27.4% | |||
| 99.87% of precincts reporting[2] | ||||
| Incumbent | Sharon L. Kennedy | |||
| Winner | Sharon L. Kennedy | |||
Partisan stakes
Though Ohio holds nonpartisan general elections, its primaries are partisan, so the political affiliations of the judicial candidates are commonly known. Going into the 2014 election, the Ohio Supreme Court had six Republicans and one Democrat on its bench. Two Republican seats were up for election.
In Ohio, the GOP held the governorship, a majority in both legislative houses and a majority on the supreme court. This is referred to as a trifecta plus by Ballotpedia. More information on state government trifectas is available here: Ballotpedia: State government trifectas.
Seats not up for election
Justices:
On the ballot: French seat
French, a Republican, was appointed to the court and took office on January 1, 2013. She replaced retired Justice Evelyn Lundberg Stratton. In 2014, French ran for a full six-year term on the court.
Democratic challenger John P. O’Donnell ran against French. He served a two-year term on the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas from 2002 to 2004. He lost the seat in the 2004 Democratic primary, but two years later won an open seat on the court. He was re-elected in 2012 and heard criminal matters for the court. Additionally, he handled a commercial docket which deals with business litigation. O'Donnell was one of only eight judges in the state to serve in this capacity.[3][4]
| 2014 candidates for the Ohio Supreme Court | |
| Term commencing 1/2/2015 | |
Judith French | Incumbent: Yes Party: Republican Primary vote: 100%  Election vote: 55.9% |
John P. O'Donnell | Incumbent: No Party: Democratic Primary vote: 100% Election vote: 44.1%  |
Endorsements
French received the endorsement of the Republican Party. The Democratic Party endorsed O'Donnell.[4]
On the ballot: Kennedy seat
Kennedy joined the court in December 2012, following her election on November 6, 2012. She was elected to serve the remainder of the unexpired term previously held by Yvette McGee Brown. Kennedy, a Republican, was running for a full-term on the court.[5]
Kennedy faced Democratic candidate Tom Letson. Letson had served in the Ohio House of Representatives since 2006. His term expired in 2014 and, due to term limits, he did not run for an additional term.[3]
| 2014 candidates for the Ohio Supreme Court | |
| Term commencing 1/1/2015 | |
Tom Letson  | Incumbent: Yes Party: Democratic Primary vote: 100% Election vote: 27.5% |
Sharon L. Kennedy  | Incumbent: Yes Party: Republican Primary vote: 100% Election vote: 72.5% |
Endorsements
In 2012, Kennedy received the endorsement of the Buckeye Firearms Association. Kennedy credited support from gun rights advocates for her election win over incumbent Yvette McGee Brown. The association expressed support for Kennedy in 2014 as well.
Letson voiced his position as a supporter of gun control while serving in the Ohio legislature. He was endorsed by the Democratic Party.[6]
Bar association ratings
The Ohio State Bar Association rates candidates running for a seat on the state's supreme court. Candidates are rated by a committee and the ratings are not based on a candidate's political affiliation. Eight areas are considered: legal ability and knowledge, professional competence, judicial temperament, integrity, diligence, health, personal responsibility and community/public service.[7]
Ratings are assigned on the basis of the number of favorable evaluations received from members of the committee. Candidates receiving favorable evaluations from 70 percent or more receive a rating of "highly recommended." Candidates receiving favorable evaluations from 60 to 69 percent receive a rating of "recommended." Candidates receiving favorable evaluations from less than 60 percent receive a rating of "not recommended."
The 2014 ratings are as follows:
- Judith French - "Highly Recommended"
- John P. O'Donnell - "Highly Recommended"
- Sharon L. Kennedy - "Declined to Participate"
- Tom Letson - "Not Recommended"[8]
In 2012, when candidate Sharon L. Kennedy was running for election to her current seat, she received a rating of "not recommended." Her opponent in the race, former Justice Yvette McGee Brown, received a rating of "highly recommended," but lost to Kennedy.[7]
Political composition
In 2014, there were six Republican justices on the supreme court. William O'Neill was the only justice who was a member of the Democratic Party.
Two Republican incumbents faced re-election in 2014. Their opponents were members of the Democratic Party.
Campaign finance
Contributions
Total candidate contributions reported:
French seat:
| Candidate | Total contributions |
|---|---|
| Judith French | $1,058,257.60[9] |
| John P. O'Donnell | $355,506.24[10] |
Kennedy seat:
| Candidate | Total contributions |
|---|---|
| Sharon L. Kennedy | $931,944.34[11] |
| Tom Letson | $25,639.00[12] |
Contribution limits
In 2014, candidates running for a seat on the Ohio Supreme Court were subject to the following campaign contribution limits:
General Election:
Individuals: $3,600
Organizations: $6,700
Political Party: $333,000
Judicial candidates were not allowed to solicit or accept political contributions. Candidates could use a campaign committee to accept donations and manage spending for the campaign.[13]
Candidates were prohibited from disclosing their political affiliation after the primary ended.[14]
2012 campaign spending
A report entitled "The New Politics of Judicial Elections", documented the increase in independent spending in judicial races during the 2012 state supreme court races. The report estimated spending on supreme court races during the 2011-2012 election cycle for high court races in Ohio:
- Ohio high court candidates raised: $3,467,446
- Independent expenditures by political parties totaled: $250,840
- Independent expenditures by interest groups totaled: $141,270
- Total spending for Ohio high court races: $3,859,556[15]
When she was elected to the court in 2012, Kennedy ran against incumbent Yvette McGee Brown. Kennedy's campaign raised over $950,000.[16]
See also
External links
- Ohio Secretary of State, "Elections & voting information"
- Supreme Court of Ohio, "Judicial candidate information"
- Ohio Secretary of State, "2014 Ohio Campaign Finance Reporting Calendar"
- Gavel Grab, "State supreme court chief judge judicial reform plan"
Footnotes
- ↑ Ohio Secretary of State, "General Election Results - Supreme Court," November 4, 2014
- ↑ Ohio Secretary of State, "General Election Results - Supreme Court," November 4, 2014
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Jon Husted Ohio Secretary of State, "Secretary of State Jon Husted announces certified statewide candidates for May primary ballot," February 18, 2014
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Vindy.com, "A Cuyahoga County judge is seeking a seat on the Ohio Supreme Court," January 24, 2014
- ↑ WOWK TV, "Newly elected Ohio Supreme Court justice sworn in," Dec. 7, 2012
- ↑ Buckeye Firearms Association, "Democrat who thinks Second Amendment is obsolete announces candidacy for Ohio Supreme Court," December 26, 2013
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Ohio State Bar Association, "OSBA Supreme Court of Ohio Candidate Ratings for the 2012 Election," September 27, 2012
- ↑ Ohio State Bar Association, "OSBA announces Supreme Court of Ohio candidate ratings for the 2014 Election," June 16, 2014
- ↑ Ohio Secretary of State, "French for Justice contribution history," accessed December 17, 2014
- ↑ Ohio Secretary of State, "Judge O'Donnell for Justice (John) contribution history," accessed December 17, 2014
- ↑ Ohio Secretary of State, "Kennedy for Ohio contribution history," accessed December 17, 2014
- ↑ Ohio Secretary of State, "Vote Tom Letson contribution history," accessed December 17, 2014
- ↑ Ohio Code of Judicial Conduct, "Contribution Limits," January 1, 2013
- ↑ League of Women Voters Ohio, "Judicial Selection Ohio: History, Recent Developments, and an Analysist of Reform Proposals, Role of Political Parties and Interest Groups," September 2003, accessed March 4, 2014
- ↑ Justice at Stake, The Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law, and The National Institute on Money in State Politics, "The New Politics of Judicial Elections 2011-12, Chapter 1: The Money Trail," October 2013
- ↑ Center for American Progress, "The Million Dollar Judges of 2012," January 15, 2013, accessed March 17, 2014
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