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Ohio Supreme Court elections, 2018
- General election: Nov. 6
- Voter registration deadline: Oct. 9
- Early voting: Oct. 10 - Nov. 5
- Absentee voting deadline: Nov. 6
- Online registration: Yes
- Same-day registration: No
- Voter ID: Non-photo ID required
- Poll times: 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
| 2018 election dates | |
|---|---|
| Deadline to file candidacy | |
| February 7, 2018 | |
| Primary election | |
| May 8, 2018 | |
| General election | |
| November 6, 2018 | |
| 2018 State Judicial Elections | |
|---|---|
2019 »
« 2017
| |
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| Overview | |
| Supreme Courts Overview | |
| Appellate Courts Overview | |
| View judicial elections by state: | |
The terms of two Ohio Supreme Court justices expired on December 31, 2018, and January 1, 2019. Those justices had to stand for nonpartisan election by voters in 2018 in order to remain on the bench.
Candidates and results
O'Donnell vacancy
General election
General election
General election for Ohio Supreme Court
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Michael P. Donnelly (D) | 61.0 | 2,170,227 |
 | Craig Baldwin (R) | 39.0 | 1,385,435 | |
| Total votes: 3,555,662 | |||
 = 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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Primary election
■ Michael P. Donnelly 
■ Craig Baldwin
DeGenaro's Seat
General election
General election
General election for Ohio Supreme Court
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Melody Stewart (D) | 52.6 | 1,853,418 |
 | Mary DeGenaro (R) | 47.4 | 1,667,258 | |
| Total votes: 3,520,676 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Primary election
■ Mary DeGenaro (Incumbent)
■ Melody J. Stewart
Justices not on the ballot
About the Ohio Supreme Court
- See also: Ohio Supreme Court
Founded in 1803, the Ohio Supreme Court is the state's court of last resort and has final authority over the interpretation of Ohio law and the Ohio Constitution. It is composed of seven justices: six justices and a chief justice. Most of the cases the court hears are appeals from the twelve district courts of appeals in Ohio. The court was established by Article IV Section 1 of the Ohio Constitution.[1]
Political composition
This was the political composition of the supreme court heading into the 2018 election. Justices on the Ohio Supreme Court are elected to their seats, and replacements are appointed by the governor in the case of midterm vacancies. Two of the current justices were appointed by Republican governors, and a six of the seven current justices are Republicans.
| ■ Maureen O'Connor | Elected in 2002, 2010, and 2016 | |
| ■ Terrence O'Donnell (Ohio) | Appointed by Bob Taft (R) in 2003, elected 2004, 2006, and 2012 | |
| ■ Judith French | Appointed by John Kasich (R) in 2013, elected in 2014 | |
| ■ Sharon L. Kennedy | Elected in 2012 and 2016 | |
| ■ Pat DeWine | Elected in 2016 | |
| ■ Pat Fischer | Elected in 2016 | |
| ■ Mary DeGenaro | Appointed by John Kasich (R) in 2018 |
Selection
The seven justices of the Ohio Supreme Court are selected through partisan primaries followed by nonpartisan general elections to six-year terms on the court.[2] 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 justice serves the remainder of his or her predecessor's unexpired term.[2]
Qualifications
To serve on the supreme court, a justice must be:
- at least six years in the practice of law; and
- under the age of 70.[2]
Selection of the 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. Ohio is one of seven states in which the chief justice is elected by voters.
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.[3]
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
- Elections in Ohio
- United States congressional delegations from Ohio
- Public policy in Ohio
- Endorsers in Ohio
- Ohio fact checks
- More...
Pivot Counties
- See also: Pivot Counties by state
Nine of 88 Ohio counties—10.2 percent—are Pivot Counties. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.
| Counties won by Trump in 2016 and Obama in 2012 and 2008 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| County | Trump margin of victory in 2016 | Obama margin of victory in 2012 | Obama margin of victory in 2008 | ||||
| Ashtabula County, Ohio | 18.80% | 12.78% | 13.54% | ||||
| Erie County, Ohio | 9.48% | 12.29% | 13.86% | ||||
| Montgomery County, Ohio | 0.73% | 4.62% | 6.22% | ||||
| Ottawa County, Ohio | 19.51% | 4.30% | 6.24% | ||||
| Portage County, Ohio | 9.87% | 5.52% | 8.99% | ||||
| Sandusky County, Ohio | 22.58% | 2.71% | 4.64% | ||||
| Stark County, Ohio | 17.17% | 0.47% | 5.46% | ||||
| Trumbull County, Ohio | 6.22% | 23.00% | 22.43% | ||||
| Wood County, Ohio | 7.99% | 4.84% | 7.13% | ||||
In the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump (R) won Ohio with 51.7 percent of the vote. Hillary Clinton (D) received 43.6 percent. In presidential elections between 1900 and 2016, Ohio cast votes for the winning presidential candidate 93.3 percent of the time (28 out of 30 elections), more than any other state in the country. In that same time frame, Ohio supported Republican candidates for president more often than Democratic candidates, 60 to 40 percent. Between 2000 and 2016, Ohio voted for the winning presidential candidate in every election.
Presidential results by legislative district
The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state House districts in Ohio. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns describe the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns describe the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. The "Party Control" column notes which party held that seat heading into the 2018 general election. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.[4][5]
| In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won 39 out of 99 state House districts in Ohio with an average margin of victory of 35.7 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won 33 out of 99 state House districts in Ohio with an average margin of victory of 34 points. Clinton won seven districts controlled by Republicans heading into the 2018 elections. |
| In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won 60 out of 99 state House districts in Ohio with an average margin of victory of 17.4 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 66 out of 99 state House districts in Ohio with an average margin of victory of 28.3 points. Trump won seven districts controlled by Democrats heading into the 2018 elections. |
| 2016 presidential results by state House district | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District | Obama | Romney | 2012 Margin | Clinton | Trump | 2016 Margin | Party Control |
| 1 | 38.79% | 59.24% | R+20.5 | 30.29% | 65.04% | R+34.7 | R |
| 2 | 39.31% | 58.68% | R+19.4 | 29.22% | 66.46% | R+37.2 | R |
| 3 | 51.29% | 46.45% | D+4.8 | 42.61% | 50.69% | R+8.1 | R |
| 4 | 37.14% | 61.16% | R+24 | 29.02% | 66.54% | R+37.5 | R |
| 5 | 43.04% | 54.83% | R+11.8 | 26.99% | 68.78% | R+41.8 | R |
| 6 | 47.63% | 51.35% | R+3.7 | 49.34% | 47.10% | D+2.2 | R |
| 7 | 47.89% | 50.80% | R+2.9 | 43.80% | 52.04% | R+8.2 | R |
| 8 | 81.58% | 17.75% | D+63.8 | 81.13% | 16.64% | D+64.5 | D |
| 9 | 85.23% | 14.11% | D+71.1 | 86.73% | 10.91% | D+75.8 | D |
| 10 | 89.62% | 9.61% | D+80 | 85.79% | 11.52% | D+74.3 | D |
| 11 | 88.72% | 10.64% | D+78.1 | 83.99% | 13.93% | D+70.1 | D |
| 12 | 84.03% | 15.46% | D+68.6 | 82.01% | 15.91% | D+66.1 | D |
| 13 | 76.21% | 22.24% | D+54 | 72.94% | 22.56% | D+50.4 | D |
| 14 | 63.03% | 35.54% | D+27.5 | 53.61% | 42.03% | D+11.6 | D |
| 15 | 59.18% | 39.28% | D+19.9 | 48.53% | 46.89% | D+1.6 | D |
| 16 | 49.37% | 49.54% | R+0.2 | 50.78% | 45.09% | D+5.7 | R |
| 17 | 61.41% | 36.78% | D+24.6 | 53.34% | 41.75% | D+11.6 | D |
| 18 | 70.04% | 27.78% | D+42.3 | 73.61% | 20.76% | D+52.8 | D |
| 19 | 47.99% | 50.56% | R+2.6 | 51.84% | 42.94% | D+8.9 | R |
| 20 | 57.45% | 41.22% | D+16.2 | 54.13% | 41.35% | D+12.8 | D |
| 21 | 48.03% | 50.52% | R+2.5 | 54.17% | 40.64% | D+13.5 | R |
| 22 | 65.70% | 32.50% | D+33.2 | 67.15% | 27.74% | D+39.4 | D |
| 23 | 48.63% | 49.65% | R+1 | 44.07% | 50.55% | R+6.5 | R |
| 24 | 48.32% | 50.18% | R+1.9 | 52.82% | 42.02% | D+10.8 | R |
| 25 | 84.94% | 13.90% | D+71 | 82.21% | 14.45% | D+67.8 | D |
| 26 | 82.21% | 16.89% | D+65.3 | 78.59% | 18.45% | D+60.1 | D |
| 27 | 37.72% | 60.95% | R+23.2 | 44.19% | 50.48% | R+6.3 | R |
| 28 | 47.68% | 51.09% | R+3.4 | 49.74% | 45.54% | D+4.2 | R |
| 29 | 36.38% | 61.99% | R+25.6 | 32.63% | 63.29% | R+30.7 | R |
| 30 | 29.86% | 68.57% | R+38.7 | 29.47% | 65.80% | R+36.3 | R |
| 31 | 68.65% | 29.81% | D+38.8 | 69.01% | 26.01% | D+43 | D |
| 32 | 77.38% | 21.44% | D+55.9 | 76.98% | 19.40% | D+57.6 | D |
| 33 | 74.59% | 24.41% | D+50.2 | 74.33% | 22.24% | D+52.1 | D |
| 34 | 77.67% | 21.29% | D+56.4 | 74.56% | 22.10% | D+52.5 | D |
| 35 | 65.71% | 32.53% | D+33.2 | 54.68% | 40.82% | D+13.9 | D |
| 36 | 51.22% | 47.16% | D+4.1 | 43.84% | 51.40% | R+7.6 | R |
| 37 | 48.21% | 50.59% | R+2.4 | 48.22% | 47.58% | D+0.6 | R |
| 38 | 45.12% | 53.31% | R+8.2 | 39.47% | 56.20% | R+16.7 | R |
| 39 | 83.01% | 15.69% | D+67.3 | 77.40% | 18.70% | D+58.7 | D |
| 40 | 42.26% | 56.01% | R+13.7 | 37.44% | 58.22% | R+20.8 | R |
| 41 | 41.76% | 56.43% | R+14.7 | 41.26% | 53.19% | R+11.9 | R |
| 42 | 37.30% | 61.04% | R+23.7 | 34.78% | 60.50% | R+25.7 | R |
| 43 | 52.03% | 46.30% | D+5.7 | 44.83% | 51.71% | R+6.9 | R |
| 44 | 85.18% | 13.57% | D+71.6 | 78.27% | 17.63% | D+60.6 | D |
| 45 | 67.48% | 30.35% | D+37.1 | 54.70% | 38.87% | D+15.8 | D |
| 46 | 61.17% | 36.89% | D+24.3 | 51.98% | 42.46% | D+9.5 | D |
| 47 | 44.22% | 54.03% | R+9.8 | 39.17% | 55.41% | R+16.2 | R |
| 48 | 45.37% | 52.95% | R+7.6 | 38.85% | 56.51% | R+17.7 | R |
| 49 | 63.88% | 33.96% | D+29.9 | 50.58% | 44.46% | D+6.1 | D |
| 50 | 42.15% | 56.06% | R+13.9 | 32.22% | 63.32% | R+31.1 | R |
| 51 | 39.52% | 58.86% | R+19.3 | 34.67% | 60.85% | R+26.2 | R |
| 52 | 32.15% | 66.62% | R+34.5 | 34.41% | 61.10% | R+26.7 | R |
| 53 | 37.68% | 60.48% | R+22.8 | 31.90% | 64.04% | R+32.1 | R |
| 54 | 33.88% | 64.77% | R+30.9 | 35.15% | 59.94% | R+24.8 | R |
| 55 | 54.00% | 44.36% | D+9.6 | 46.06% | 49.11% | R+3 | R |
| 56 | 66.42% | 31.87% | D+34.5 | 56.04% | 39.48% | D+16.6 | D |
| 57 | 45.16% | 52.88% | R+7.7 | 33.67% | 61.31% | R+27.6 | R |
| 58 | 77.98% | 20.84% | D+57.1 | 63.99% | 32.77% | D+31.2 | D |
| 59 | 51.32% | 47.23% | D+4.1 | 39.03% | 57.44% | R+18.4 | D |
| 60 | 53.77% | 44.35% | D+9.4 | 43.53% | 51.59% | R+8.1 | D |
| 61 | 44.47% | 54.03% | R+9.6 | 37.08% | 58.60% | R+21.5 | R |
| 62 | 27.91% | 70.65% | R+42.7 | 24.13% | 71.55% | R+47.4 | R |
| 63 | 60.72% | 37.58% | D+23.1 | 44.17% | 51.91% | R+7.7 | D |
| 64 | 59.27% | 38.87% | D+20.4 | 44.19% | 51.55% | R+7.4 | D |
| 65 | 31.46% | 66.93% | R+35.5 | 28.92% | 66.19% | R+37.3 | R |
| 66 | 33.65% | 64.53% | R+30.9 | 23.17% | 73.04% | R+49.9 | R |
| 67 | 38.37% | 60.33% | R+22 | 39.82% | 55.21% | R+15.4 | R |
| 68 | 36.74% | 61.59% | R+24.9 | 34.19% | 61.06% | R+26.9 | R |
| 69 | 41.18% | 57.12% | R+15.9 | 35.30% | 60.15% | R+24.9 | R |
| 70 | 39.57% | 58.40% | R+18.8 | 28.98% | 66.22% | R+37.2 | R |
| 71 | 44.17% | 53.76% | R+9.6 | 36.24% | 58.84% | R+22.6 | R |
| 72 | 41.74% | 56.02% | R+14.3 | 26.53% | 69.18% | R+42.6 | R |
| 73 | 38.72% | 59.60% | R+20.9 | 37.58% | 56.86% | R+19.3 | R |
| 74 | 39.24% | 59.00% | R+19.8 | 29.26% | 66.33% | R+37.1 | R |
| 75 | 55.14% | 42.80% | D+12.3 | 45.12% | 49.88% | R+4.8 | D |
| 76 | 40.16% | 58.30% | R+18.1 | 36.58% | 59.26% | R+22.7 | R |
| 77 | 42.94% | 55.55% | R+12.6 | 36.83% | 58.45% | R+21.6 | R |
| 78 | 43.27% | 54.75% | R+11.5 | 27.72% | 67.97% | R+40.3 | R |
| 79 | 50.25% | 48.15% | D+2.1 | 39.71% | 55.79% | R+16.1 | R |
| 80 | 30.58% | 67.60% | R+37 | 23.49% | 72.12% | R+48.6 | R |
| 81 | 36.13% | 61.79% | R+25.7 | 23.47% | 71.04% | R+47.6 | R |
| 82 | 35.40% | 62.61% | R+27.2 | 23.64% | 71.47% | R+47.8 | R |
| 83 | 35.44% | 62.41% | R+27 | 25.53% | 68.92% | R+43.4 | R |
| 84 | 22.84% | 75.48% | R+52.6 | 15.84% | 80.56% | R+64.7 | R |
| 85 | 34.91% | 63.23% | R+28.3 | 23.23% | 72.46% | R+49.2 | R |
| 86 | 40.44% | 57.59% | R+17.2 | 29.69% | 64.99% | R+35.3 | R |
| 87 | 37.79% | 59.89% | R+22.1 | 23.50% | 71.42% | R+47.9 | R |
| 88 | 48.08% | 49.40% | R+1.3 | 33.72% | 59.59% | R+25.9 | R |
| 89 | 53.82% | 44.44% | D+9.4 | 40.79% | 54.12% | R+13.3 | R |
| 90 | 45.61% | 52.45% | R+6.8 | 28.10% | 68.50% | R+40.4 | R |
| 91 | 37.47% | 60.53% | R+23.1 | 23.48% | 72.83% | R+49.3 | R |
| 92 | 44.40% | 54.02% | R+9.6 | 30.49% | 65.30% | R+34.8 | R |
| 93 | 38.50% | 59.36% | R+20.9 | 22.81% | 73.57% | R+50.8 | R |
| 94 | 52.86% | 44.54% | D+8.3 | 41.52% | 53.47% | R+12 | R |
| 95 | 39.50% | 58.11% | R+18.6 | 24.30% | 71.52% | R+47.2 | R |
| 96 | 47.46% | 50.40% | R+2.9 | 29.81% | 66.31% | R+36.5 | D |
| 97 | 45.24% | 52.60% | R+7.4 | 29.04% | 66.33% | R+37.3 | R |
| 98 | 40.54% | 57.23% | R+16.7 | 27.38% | 67.61% | R+40.2 | R |
| 99 | 52.60% | 45.25% | D+7.4 | 37.09% | 58.30% | R+21.2 | D |
| Total | 50.67% | 47.69% | D+3 | 43.69% | 51.84% | R+8.2 | - |
| Source: Daily Kos | |||||||
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms 'Ohio judicial election' OR 'Ohio court election' OR 'Ohio election 2018'. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ The Supreme Court of Ohio & The Ohio Judicial System, "Jurisdiction & Authority," accessed October 2, 2014
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 American Judicature Society, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Ohio," archived October 3, 2014
- ↑ The raw data for this study was provided by Dave Leip of Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections.
- ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts," July 9, 2013
- ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2016 presidential results for congressional and legislative districts," February 6, 2017
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
