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Ohio appointment still does not settle 2010 election
November 14, 2011
Ohio: Over one year has passed since the 2010 election, and still the winner of the Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas Juvenile Division race is not yet determined. Governor John Kasich weighed in on the debate with his most recent judicial appointment. John M. Williams, one of the two candidates that ran for the court last year, was appointed to the court following the retirement of Karla J. Grady.[1]
Due to the terms of the appointment, Williams must run for the seat in the 2012 election if he wishes to continue serving. If he did and won, then his term would expire on February 13, 2015. However, if he is declared the winner of the 2010 election, he wouldn't have to run for election until his term expired in 2017.[2]
Williams won the 2010 race by 23 votes and was declared the winner by Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted. Soon after, candidate Tracie Hunter contested the decision, stating that provisional ballots should also be counted. The Ohio Supreme Court found in favor of the Williams camp, while the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio agreed with Hunter that some of the provisional ballots be counted.[2]
Regardless of the decision in the federal case, Williams is now a member of the court, thanks to Kasich. The only way for the situation to get more confusing is if Hunter challenges him for the seat in 2012.
If you'd like to learn more about the race, read:
- Ohio county Juvenile Court race still undecided, January 20, 2011
- Judge Dlott's ruling throws new twist in undecided judicial race, January 12, 2011
Footnotes
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