LIMA, Ohio (WLIO) — Allen County Republicans gathered to show their support for the party's candidates for the Ohio Supreme Court ahead of the Nov. 3 general election.
Justice Daniel Hawkins was elected in 2024 to complete the term of Chief Justice Sharon Kennedy. He is facing Democrat Marilyn Zayas in the general election.
Hawkins said judges are not meant to be activists but instead should ensure there are checks and balances among the legislative and executive branches of government. He added that the makeup of the state's highest court affects the lives of Ohioans every day.
Justice Daniel Hawkins is facing Democrat Marilyn Zayas in the general election.
“Law and order is always on the ballot when you're talking about judge and judicial candidates and as a former prosecutor and judge who held criminals accountable, that's something I'm always going to take forward at the Supreme Court, but also jobs and the economy. Ohio was recently named one of the top states in the nation for job creation and the Supreme Court is a big part of that because we have a stable and predictable legal environment that lets businesses create jobs and thrive and grow,” says Justice Daniel Hawkins, Ohio Supreme Court.
Former Franklin County Judge Colleen O'Donnell is running against the only Democratic justice on the Ohio Supreme Court, Jennifer Brunner.
O'Donnell said judges should set aside their personal emotions and preferences and interpret the law as it is written.
“I am convinced that voters in every corner of the state want to elect judges in any location and at any level of the court who will honor their oath and obligation to interpret the law as enacted by the General Assembly and who will not legislate from the bench. I think in my prior judicial service, that was my judicial philosophy to exercise that judicial restraint and to simply interpret the law as enacted in order to make the law predictable and consistent for all Ohioans,” says Colleen O’Donnell, republican Candidate for Ohio Supreme Court.
The Nov. 3 general election is 88 days away, and early voting begins Oct. 6.
