Ohio First District Court of Appeals

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

Districts of the Ohio District Courts of Appeals

The First District Court of Appeals is one of 12 appellate districts in the state of Ohio.^[1]

Overview

The Hamilton Court First District Court of Appeals is composed of six judges who are elected to the court and may serve six-year terms. The court has jurisdiction over Hamilton County, Ohio. Article IV, Section 3 of the Ohio Constitution grants the court the power to hear appeals from both municipal and common pleas courts in Ohio. The court also has original jurisdiction to hear cases involving writs of habeas corpus, mandamus, prohibition, procedendo, and quo warranto.^[2]

A panel of 3 judges hears each case on appeal. One judge from the three is then chosen at random to draft the opinion of the court. Any appeals from the First District Court of Appeals may be reviewed by the Ohio Supreme Court.^[2]

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

Judges

Judge	Tenure	Appointed By
Candace Crouse	February 11, 2019 - Present	Elected
Ginger Bock	February 9, 2021 - Present	Elected
Jennifer Kinsley	February 9, 2023 - Present	Elected
Marilyn Zayas	November 6, 2016 - Present	Elected
Terry Nestor	February 9, 2025 - Present
Rich Moore	February 12, 2025 - Present

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.^[4]

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.^[5]^[6] 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.^[7]

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.^[8]

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.^[9]

Presiding judge

The manner in which the presiding judge is chosen for each appellate district varies among the districts.^[10]

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.^[8]

Elections

Term starts 02/12/2031

There are no official candidates yet for this election.

Term starts 02/11/2031

There are no official candidates yet for this election.

Term starts 02/10/2031

There are no official candidates yet for this election.

Term starts 02/09/2031

There are no official candidates yet for this election.

Term starts 02/09/2025

General election

General election for Ohio First District Court of Appeals

Terry Nestor (D) defeated Sean Donovan (R) in the general election for Ohio First District Court of Appeals on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Terry Nestor (D)	55.0	214,719
		Sean Donovan (R)	45.0	175,786

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 390,505
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary

Democratic primary for Ohio First District Court of Appeals

Terry Nestor (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for Ohio First District Court of Appeals on March 19, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Terry Nestor	100.0	28,371

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 28,371
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary

Republican primary for Ohio First District Court of Appeals

Sean Donovan (R) advanced from the Republican primary for Ohio First District Court of Appeals on March 19, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Sean Donovan	100.0	33,842

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 33,842
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Term starts 02/10/2025

General election

General election for Ohio First District Court of Appeals

Incumbent Marilyn Zayas (D) defeated Stacy Lefton (R) in the general election for Ohio First District Court of Appeals on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Marilyn Zayas (D)	56.2	218,756
	Submit photo	Stacy Lefton (R)	43.8	170,309

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 389,065
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary

Democratic primary for Ohio First District Court of Appeals

Incumbent Marilyn Zayas (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for Ohio First District Court of Appeals on March 19, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Marilyn Zayas	100.0	29,212

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 29,212
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary

Republican primary for Ohio First District Court of Appeals

Stacy Lefton (R) advanced from the Republican primary for Ohio First District Court of Appeals on March 19, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Stacy Lefton	100.0	32,852

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 32,852
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Term starts 02/12/2025

General election

General election for Ohio First District Court of Appeals

Rich Moore (D) defeated Robert Goering (R) in the general election for Ohio First District Court of Appeals on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Rich Moore (D)	53.0	206,681
	Submit photo	Robert Goering (R)	47.0	183,117

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 389,798
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary

Democratic primary for Ohio First District Court of Appeals

Rich Moore (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for Ohio First District Court of Appeals on March 19, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Rich Moore	100.0	27,342

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 27,342
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary

Republican primary for Ohio First District Court of Appeals

Robert Goering (R) advanced from the Republican primary for Ohio First District Court of Appeals on March 19, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Robert Goering	100.0	36,311

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 36,311
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Term starts 02/11/2025

General election

General election for Ohio First District Court of Appeals

Incumbent Candace Crouse (D) defeated M. Elizabeth Polston (R) in the general election for Ohio First District Court of Appeals on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Candace Crouse (D)	56.0	216,924
	Submit photo	M. Elizabeth Polston (R)	44.0	170,177

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 387,101
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary

Democratic primary for Ohio First District Court of Appeals

Incumbent Candace Crouse (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for Ohio First District Court of Appeals on March 19, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Candace Crouse	100.0	28,483

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 28,483
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary

Republican primary for Ohio First District Court of Appeals

M. Elizabeth Polston (R) advanced from the Republican primary for Ohio First District Court of Appeals on March 19, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	M. Elizabeth Polston	100.0	32,545

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 32,545
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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General election

General election for Ohio First District Court of Appeals

Jennifer Kinsley (D) defeated incumbent Robert C. Winkler (R) in the general election for Ohio First District Court of Appeals on November 8, 2022.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Jennifer Kinsley (D)	52.0	155,976
	Robert C. Winkler (R)	48.0	143,730

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 299,706
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary

Democratic primary for Ohio First District Court of Appeals

Jennifer Kinsley (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for Ohio First District Court of Appeals on May 3, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jennifer Kinsley	100.0	31,825

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 31,825
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary

Republican primary for Ohio First District Court of Appeals

Incumbent Robert C. Winkler (R) advanced from the Republican primary for Ohio First District Court of Appeals on May 3, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Robert C. Winkler	100.0	40,463

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 40,463
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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General election

General election for Ohio First District Court of Appeals

Ginger Bock (Nonpartisan) defeated incumbent Russell Mock (Nonpartisan) in the general election for Ohio First District Court of Appeals on November 3, 2020.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Ginger Bock (Nonpartisan)	56.1	204,998
	Russell Mock (Nonpartisan)	43.9	160,641

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 365,639
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary

Democratic primary for Ohio First District Court of Appeals

Ginger Bock (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for Ohio First District Court of Appeals on April 28, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Ginger Bock	100.0	57,297

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 57,297
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary

Republican primary for Ohio First District Court of Appeals

Incumbent Russell Mock (R) advanced from the Republican primary for Ohio First District Court of Appeals on April 28, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Russell Mock	100.0	33,594

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 33,594
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Term commencing 2/10/2019; Zayas-Davis' Seat

General election

General election for Ohio First District Court of Appeals

Incumbent Marilyn Zayas (D) defeated Dale Stalf (R) in the general election for Ohio First District Court of Appeals on November 6, 2018.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Marilyn Zayas (D)	60.4	175,094
	Dale Stalf (R)	39.6	114,704

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 289,798
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary

Democratic primary for Ohio First District Court of Appeals

Incumbent Marilyn Zayas (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for Ohio First District Court of Appeals on May 8, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Marilyn Zayas	100.0	32,570

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 32,570
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary

Republican primary for Ohio First District Court of Appeals

Dale Stalf (R) advanced from the Republican primary for Ohio First District Court of Appeals on May 8, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Dale Stalf	100.0	27,934

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 27,934
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Term Commencing 02/09/2019; Miller's Seat

General election

General election for Ohio First District Court of Appeals

Pierre Bergeron (D) defeated incumbent Charles M. Miller (R) in the general election for Ohio First District Court of Appeals on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Pierre Bergeron (D)	51.6	146,560
	Submit photo	Charles M. Miller (R)	48.4	137,664

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 284,224
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary

Democratic primary for Ohio First District Court of Appeals

Pierre Bergeron (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for Ohio First District Court of Appeals on May 8, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Pierre Bergeron	100.0	31,023

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 31,023
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary

Republican primary for Ohio First District Court of Appeals

Incumbent Charles M. Miller (R) advanced from the Republican primary for Ohio First District Court of Appeals on May 8, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Charles M. Miller	100.0	28,167

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 28,167
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Term Commencing 2/12/2019; Cunningham's Seat

General election

General election for Ohio First District Court of Appeals

Robert C. Winkler (R) defeated Ginger Bock (D) in the general election for Ohio First District Court of Appeals on November 6, 2018.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Robert C. Winkler (R)	51.5	154,546
	Ginger Bock (D)	48.5	145,695

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 300,241
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary

Democratic primary for Ohio First District Court of Appeals

Ginger Bock (D) defeated Bill Bell (D) in the Democratic primary for Ohio First District Court of Appeals on May 8, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Ginger Bock	73.4	28,663
	Submit photo	Bill Bell	26.6	10,375

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 39,038
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary

Republican primary for Ohio First District Court of Appeals

Robert C. Winkler (R) advanced from the Republican primary for Ohio First District Court of Appeals on May 8, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Robert C. Winkler	100.0	30,878

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 30,878
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Term commencing 2/11/2019; Deters' Seat

General election

General election for Ohio First District Court of Appeals

Candace Crouse (D) defeated incumbent Dennis Deters (R) in the general election for Ohio First District Court of Appeals on November 6, 2018.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Candace Crouse (D)	53.3	159,122
	Dennis Deters (R)	46.7	139,570

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 298,692
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary

Democratic primary for Ohio First District Court of Appeals

Candace Crouse (D) advanced from the Democratic primary for Ohio First District Court of Appeals on May 8, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Candace Crouse	100.0	31,293

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 31,293
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary

Republican primary for Ohio First District Court of Appeals

Incumbent Dennis Deters (R) advanced from the Republican primary for Ohio First District Court of Appeals on May 8, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Dennis Deters	100.0	29,474

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 29,474
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Previous election results

2016

See also: Ohio judicial elections, 2016

Candidates

Judge Hendon's seat

Judge Sylvia Sieve Hendon (R) reached the mandatory retirement age.

■ Beth A. Myers (R) (Unopposed)

Judge Stautberg's seat

■ Marilyn Zayas-Davis (D)
■ Peter Stautberg (R) (Incumbent)

Election results

November 8 general election

Beth A. Myers ran unopposed in the general election for the Ohio First District Court of Appeals, Hendon's seat.

Ohio First District Court of Appeals, Hendon's Seat, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Beth A. Myers (unopposed)	100.00%	224,316
Total Votes (100% reporting)				224,316
Source: Ohio Secretary of State Official Results

Marilyn Zayas-Davis defeated incumbent Peter Stautberg in the general election for the Ohio First District Court of Appeals, Stautberg's seat.

Ohio First District Court of Appeals, Stautberg's Seat, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Marilyn Zayas-Davis	50.58%	156,687
	Republican	Peter Stautberg Incumbent	49.42%	153,119
Total Votes (100% reporting)				309,806
Source: Ohio Secretary of State Official Results

March 15 primary election

Ohio First District Court of Appeals, Judge Hendon's Seat Republican Primary, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Beth A. Myers (unopposed)	100.00%	77,755
Total Votes				77,755
Source: Ohio Secretary of State Official Results

Ohio First District Court of Appeals, Judge Stautberg's Seat Republican Primary, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Peter Stautberg (unopposed)	100.00%	76,515
Total Votes				76,515
Source: Ohio Secretary of State Official Results

Ohio First District Court of Appeals, Judge Stautberg's Seat Democratic Primary, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Marilyn Zayas-Davis (unopposed)	100.00%	56,442
Total Votes				56,442
Source: Ohio Secretary of State Official Results

2014

See also: Ohio judicial elections, 2014

Unopposed	Russell Mock (Term commencing 2/9/2015)

2012

See also: Ohio judicial elections, 2012

Candidate	Incumbency	Party	Term	Election Vote
WhitmanBruce Whitman	No	Democratic	Term commencing 2/11/2013	38.99% A
Martha Good
DeWinePat DeWine A	No	Republican		61.01% A
FischerPat Fischer A	Yes	Republican		54.43% A
DinkelackerPatrick Dinkelacker A	Yes	Republican	General Division	100% A
CunninghamPenelope Cunningham A	Yes	Republican		100% A

2010

See also: Ohio judicial elections, 2010

Ohio First District Court of Appeals 2010 elections
Court	Candidates	Details	Results
First District, Term Commencing February 9	(D): Martha Good (R): Sylvia Sieve Hendon	Sylvia Sieve Hendon was up for re-election.	Sylvia Sieve Hendon won with 60 percent of the vote.
First District, Unexpired Term ending 2/18/13	(D): William Mallory (R): Pat Fischer	William Mallory was up for re-election.	Pat Fischer won with 54 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

State of Ohio First 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 (Ohio) • 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 • Colleen O'Toole • 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

[1] The Supreme Court of Ohio & The Ohio Judicial System, "Ohio Courts of Appeals," accessed July 16, 2014

[appeals-2] 2.0 ^2.1 State of Ohio First Appellate District, "Welcome To Hamilton County Court of Appeals," accessed July 16, 2014

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

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

[2022update-5] Ohio Secretary of State, “Ohio Candidate Requirement Guide,” accessed December 7, 2021

[2022law-6] Ohio General Assembly, “(Senate Bill Number 80),” accessed December 7, 2021

[coa-7] Supreme Court of Ohio, "Courts of Appeal," accessed September 9, 2024

[OHgeneral-8] 8.0 ^8.1 National Center for State Courts, "Methods of Judicial Selection: Ohio," accessed September 1, 2021

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

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

[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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Ohio First District Court of Appeals

Court information
Judges:	6
Salary:	Associates: $178,108^[3]
Judicial selection
Method:	Partisan election of judges
Term:	6 years

Ohio	Judicial Selection	More Courts

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