Ohio voters decided 70 contested judicial races in the November 4 election.

Ohio voters decided 70 contested judicial races in the November 4 election.

Ohio voters decided to return two Ohio Supreme Court justices to the bench.

Justice Sharon L. Kennedy defeated State Rep. Thomas Letson with more than 72 percent of the vote. With 56 percent of the vote, Justice Judith L. French beat her opponent Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas Judge John O’Donnell.

There were another 223 judicial races in yesterday’s election, with 68 (30 percent) of those contested. Eight incumbent judges lost their bids to retain their seats, including six gubernatorial appointees who were seeking election for the first time.

• The race for Stark County Court of Common Pleas judge between Judge Curt Werren and Chryssa Hartnett appears headed for a recount, as Hartnett has a 29-vote lead.
• Two court of appeals incumbents lost their election bids. Ninth District Court of Appeals Judge Eve Belfance lost to challenger Julie Ann Schafer, while Jennifer Brunner topped Judge Amy O’Grady in the Tenth District.
• Joyce Kimbler won the Medina County Court of Common Pleas judgeship currently held by her husband Judge James Kimbler who is retiring.

There will be 33 new judges taking office as a result of yesterday’s election.
All judges in Ohio are elected to six-year terms. Elections for the Ohio Supreme Court, appeals courts, common pleas courts, and county courts occur in even-numbered years, while elections for municipal courts occur in odd-numbered years.

View the unofficial results compiled by Supreme Court staff, or consult one of Ohio’s 88 county boards of elections.

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