With 40 new judges, nine judges joining new courts, and three former judges returning to the bench, the 2022 judicial elections bring a wide range of experiences and knowledge to the Ohio judicial system.

Overall, 228 candidates were on Tuesday’s midterm election ballot for 171 judicial seats. Ohio voters elected three justices to the Supreme Court of Ohio, 28 judges to the state court of appeals, 127 to county courts of common pleas, 12 to county courts, and one to a municipal court.

A breakdown of new Ohio judges

Appellate Judges

• Jennifer Kinsley was elected to an open seat on the First District Court of Appeals.
• Juergen Waldick was elected to an open seat on the Third District Court of Appeals.
• Andrew King replaces incumbent Judge Earl Wise on the Fifth District Court of Appeals.
• Charles Sulek was elected to an open seat on the Sixth District Court of Appeals.
• Mark Hanni replaces incumbent Judge Gene Donofrio on the Seventh District Court of Appeals.
• Kristin Boggs was elected to an open seat on the Tenth District Court of Appeals.           
• Carly Edelstein replaces incumbent Judge Keith McGrath on the Tenth District Court of Appeals.
• David Leland was elected to an open seat on the Tenth District Court of Appeals.

Common Pleas Judges

• David Stimpert was elected to an open seat on the Ashland County Court of Common Pleas.
• Daniel Phillips was elected to an open seat on the Butler County Juvenile Court.
• Jeffrey Saffold replaces incumbent Judge Mark Majer on the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas.
• Kevin Kelley replaces incumbent Judge Wanda Jones on the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas.
• Jennifer O’Donnell replaces incumbent Judge Kenneth Callahan on the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas.
• Anne McDonough was elected to an open seat on the Cuyahoga County Juvenile Court.
• Nicholas Celebrezze was elected to an open seat on the Cuyahoga County Juvenile Court.
• Travis Fliehman was elected to an open seat on the Darke County Court of Common Pleas.
• Andria Noble replaces incumbent Judge Colleen O’Donnell on the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas.
• Bill Sperlazza was elected to an open seat on the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas.
• Douglas Nobles was elected to an open seat on the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas, Juvenile and Domestic Relations Division.
• Scott Haselman was elected to an open seat on the Fulton County Court of Common Pleas, General and Domestic Relations Division.
• Anne Flottman replaces incumbent Judge Jon Sieve on the Hamilton County Domestic Relations Court.
• Betsy Sundermann was elected to an open seat on the Hamilton County Domestic Relations Court.
• Maria Santo was elected to an open seat on the Hardin County Court of Common Pleas, Juvenile briand Domestic Relations Division.
• Melissa Peper Firestone was elected to an open seat on the Henry County Court of Common Pleas, Juvenile and Domestic Relations Division.
• Melissa Kobasher was elected to an open seat on the Lorain County Court of Common Pleas.
• Bill Hutson was elected to an open seat on the Medina County Court of Common Pleas.
• Matthew Fox was elected to an open seat on the Mercer County Court of Common Pleas, General and Domestic Relations Division.
• Angelina Jackson replaces incumbent Judge Robert Hanseman on the Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas.
• Julie Bruns was elected to an open seat on the Montgomery County Juvenile Court.
• Robert Junk was elected to an open seat on the Pike County Court of Common Pleas, General and Domestic Relations Division.
• Beth Allen Owens was elected to an open seat on the Richland County Domestic Relations Court.
• Damon Alt was elected to an open seat on the Seneca County Court of Common Pleas, General and Domestic Relations Division.
• Michelle Cordova was elected to an open seat on the Stark County Court of Common Pleas, Juvenile and Domestic Relations Division.
• Jennifer Towell was elected to a vacant seat on the Summit County Court of Common Pleas.
• Kani Hightower replaces incumbent Judge Susan Steinhauer on the Summit County Domestic Relations Court.
• Sean O’Brien was elected to an open seat on the Trumbull County Court of Common Pleas.
• Douglas Rowland was elected to an open seat on the Wyandot County Court of Common Pleas, General, Domestic Relations, Juvenile and Probate Division.

County Court Judges

• Casey O’Brien replaces incumbent Judge Michelle Fisher on the Ashtabula County Court.
• T. Owen Beetham was elected to a vacant seat on the Harrison County Court.

Municipal Court Judge

• Timothy Sterkel was elected to a vacant seat on the South Euclid Municipal Court.

Nine judges move to new courts

• Judge Mary Kate Huffman of the Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas was elected to Second District Court of Appeals.
• Judge Michael John Ryan of the Cuyahoga County Juvenile Court was elected to the Eighth District Court of Appeals.
• Judge Jill Flagg Lanzinger of the Barberton Municipal Court was elected to the Ninth District Court of Appeals.
• Judge Eugene Lucci of the Lake County Court of Common Pleas was elected to the Eleventh District Court of Appeals.
• Judge Deborah Turner of the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas was elected to a different seat on the same court.
• Judge David Bender of the Fayette County Probate/Juvenile Court was elected to the Fayette County Court of Common Pleas, General and Domestic Relations Division.
• Judge Cynthia Westcott Rice of the Eleventh District Court of Appeals was elected to the Trumbull County Court of Common Pleas.
• Judge Timothy VanSickle of the Wayne County Municipal Court was elected to the Wayne County Court of Common Pleas, General and Domestic Relations Division.
• Justice Sharon Kennedy of the Supreme Court of Ohio was elected to be Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Ohio.

Judges returning to the bench

• Pat Dinkelacker, formerly of the Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas and the First District Court of Appeals will return to the Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas.
• Scot Stevenson, formerly of the Summit County Court of Common Pleas will be on the Ninth District Court of Appeals.
• Brian Driscoll, formerly of the Clark County Municipal Court will be on the Clark County Court of Common Pleas.

Close races
These races are subject to possible recount.

• For a seat on the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas, Brian Mooney leads incumbent Judge Joan Synenberg with a 0.24% vote differential. 
• Judge Michael J. Holbrook of the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas holds on to his seat in a close race against Zach Gwin.
• For an open seat on the Hamilton County Juvenile Court, Stacey DeGraffenreid leads in a close race against Rickell Howard Smith.