Sheryl Munson

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Sheryl Munson

Nonpartisan

Franklin County Court of Common Pleas General Division

Tenure

2020 - Present

Term ends

2029

Years in position

4

Report an officeholder change

Elections and appointments

Last elected

November 8, 2022

Education

Bachelor's

The Ohio State University, 1991

Law

The Ohio State University, Moritz School of Law, 1994

Personal

Birthplace

Marion, Ohio

Profession

Senior staff attorney

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Instagram

Personal LinkedIn

Sheryl Munson is a judge of the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas General Division in Ohio. She assumed office on December 5, 2020. Her current term ends on January 5, 2029.

Munson (Nonpartisan, Democratic Party) ran for re-election for judge of the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas General Division in Ohio. Munson won in the general election on November 8, 2022. She advanced from the Democratic primary on May 3, 2022.

Biography

Sheryl Munson was born in Marion, Ohio. She earned a bachelor's degree from the Ohio State University in 1991 and a J.D. from the Mortiz College of Law at Ohio State University in 1994. Her career experience includes working as a senior staff attorney with the Common Pleas Unit of the Franklin County Public Defender Office.

Elections

2022

See also: Municipal elections in Franklin County, Ohio (2022)

General election

General election for Franklin County Court of Common Pleas General Division

Incumbent Sheryl Munson won election in the general election for Franklin County Court of Common Pleas General Division on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Sheryl Munson (Nonpartisan)	100.0	279,324

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source 1 Source 2	Total votes: 279,324
= 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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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Franklin County Court of Common Pleas General Division

Incumbent Sheryl Munson advanced from the Democratic primary for Franklin County Court of Common Pleas General Division on May 3, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Sheryl Munson	100.0	63,785

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 63,785
= 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.

2020

See also: Municipal elections in Franklin County, Ohio (2020)

General election

Special general election for Franklin County Court of Common Pleas General Division

Sheryl Munson defeated incumbent Gina Russo in the special general election for Franklin County Court of Common Pleas General Division on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Sheryl Munson (Nonpartisan)	55.3	281,367
		Gina Russo (Nonpartisan)	44.7	227,532

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 508,899
= 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

Special Democratic primary for Franklin County Court of Common Pleas General Division

Sheryl Munson advanced from the special Democratic primary for Franklin County Court of Common Pleas General Division on April 28, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Sheryl Munson	100.0	89,338

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source 1 Source 2	Total votes: 89,338
= 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

Special Republican primary for Franklin County Court of Common Pleas General Division

Incumbent Gina Russo advanced from the special Republican primary for Franklin County Court of Common Pleas General Division on April 28, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Gina Russo	100.0	27,971

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source 1 Source 2	Total votes: 27,971
= 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.

Endorsements

To view Munson's endorsements in the 2020 election, please click here.

Campaign themes

2022

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Sheryl Munson did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

2020

Sheryl Munson completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Munson's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I have spent my 26 year legal career working as a public defender trying to ensure that everyone-no matter who they are, where they come from, what they look like, or how much money they have-has equal access to justice. Now I am running for judge to bring my commitment to equal justice for all to the bench.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Social justice is completely compatible with criminal justice.
• Restorative justice and rehabilitation of offenders benefits the entire community.
• Equal access to justice is critical for our system to actually be just.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am passionate about any policy that guarantees equal treatment and equal access to justice.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

I look up to my mother because she taught me to persevere despite tragedy and set back.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Even temperament, honesty, humility, and a commitment to service.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

Compassion. Empathy. Strong litigator and legal researcher/writer. Humility. Commitment to service.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

To be objective, fair, well prepared and knowledgeable about relevant issues, and accountable to the community.

What legacy would you like to leave?

To have done the most good for the most people and have people feel they were always treated with respect and fairness.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

The murder of John Lennon. I was 12 years old.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My first job was as a crew member for a McDonald's in my home town. I held that job until I went away to college.

What is your favorite book? Why?

"Man's Search for Meaning" by Viktor Frankl because it reminds me to practice gratitude in all situations and that happiness is a state of mind and should not be dependent upon what is happening around you.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Ripley from Alien.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Many songs by Bruce Springsteen.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Dealing with the death of my father as a result of addiction and suicide.

How would you describe your legal philosophy?

I believe a judge should be accountable to and involved in the community who elects her. People coming before the court should be treated with dignity and respect and a judge should always remember that she is elected to serve the people and that service should not end at the courtroom door. Judges should be out in the community helping and educating people as often as possible.

Is there a particular judge, past or present, whom you admire?

Judge Jennifer Brunner who is currently running for the Ohio Supreme Court.

Do you believe that empathy is an important quality for a judge?

Absolutely.

Have you ever been rated by a Bar Association? If so, what was the rating?

I am awaiting my rating from my local bar association.

Why are you running for this particular court seat?

There are no former public defenders on the bench where I am seeking my seat. The judges currently on the bench come from more traditional backgrounds: private practice or the prosecutor's office. I consider that a significant void that needs to be filled. The bench needs a diversity of perspective and the perspective of a life-long public defender is a perspective that is essential to the fair and equal treatment of all the members of our community.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for a judge to have previous experience in government or politics?

Not necessarily.

What is your primary concern about today's legal system in your state?

I am concerned about issues of systemic racism, implicit bias, and lack of sentencing reform.

What do you consider the greatest opportunity for the legal system in your state?

To take advantage of current treatment and rehabilitative resources to help people get better and become productive members of the community.

Would you be interested in serving on a higher court in the future? If so, which court appeals to you?

Perhaps, one day a position on the Court of Appeal might be something I would consider.

Do you believe that Bar Association ratings are an accurate reflection of a judge’s ability?

It can be accurate if the people doing the rating have personal knowledge of the candidate's abilities.

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.

See also

2022 Elections

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Candidate

Franklin County Court of Common Pleas General Division

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Footnotes

Ohio courts

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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