Ohio Republicans tightened control of the Ohio Supreme Court from 4 to 6 to 6, ousting two incumbent Democratic justices and gaining a third open seat, the Associated Press estimates based on unofficial results. Results remain unofficial until certified by local boards of elections and the Ohio Secretary of State.
The Ohio Supreme Court will rule on a variety of issues affecting the everyday lives of Ohioans, from education and environmental issues to territorial gerrymandering and elections to civil and reproductive rights.
Tthe state supreme court has been under Republican control since 1986 Republicans currently have a 4-3 majority, which will boost to 6-1 in 2025.
According to unofficial results, Republican Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas Judge Megan Shanahan defeated Democratic incumbent Judge Michael P. Donnelly.
“I am honored and grateful to the millions of Ohioans who have trusted me to serve as a Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court,” Shanahan wrote on her profile campaign page on Facebook. “I will remain true to what I have stood for and be a Supreme Court justice who knows that my job is to interpret the law, not create it. I will go to work every day and focus on protecting the citizens, communities and the Constitution of Ohio.”
Incumbent Republican Judge Joseph Deters defeated Democratic incumbent Judge Melody Stewart, ousting her from the court, unofficial results show.
Deters chose not to run for his current seat and won a full six-year term. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine appointed Deters, a former prosecutor, to fill the vacant position in January 2023, even though he had no prior experience as a judge.
The AP projected that Republican Judge Dan Hawkins defeated Democratic Judge Lisa Forbes in the race for the open seat.
This race was for Deters’ open seat, whose term expires on December 31, 2026. Hawkins currently serves on the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas and Forbes serves on the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals. Hawkins will face re-election to a full six-year term in 2026.
In 2021, Republican state lawmakers added party labels to Ohio Supreme Court races that were previously nonpartisan.
Democratic Judge Jennifer Brunner’s seats will boost in 2026. The seats of Republican Chief Justice Sharon Kennedy, Republican Justice Pat DeWine and Republican Justice Pat Fischer will boost in 2028.
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