Republicans swept all three Ohio Supreme Court races Tuesday, expanding the majority they’ve held for nearly four decades, according to multiple reports.
The GOP, which had a 4-3 majority on the court heading into election day, now has a 6-1 majority after gaining an additional two seats. Incumbent Democratic Justice Michael Donnelly lost to Republican Judge Megan Shanahan.
In a race between two incumbents, Republican Justice Joseph Deters defeated Democratic Justice Melody Stewart. Rather than run for reelection in his own seat, which Gov. Mike DeWine appointed him to in December 2022 to fill a vacancy, Deters challenged Stewart for a full term. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Red State Supreme Court Helped Coordinate Event Featuring ‘Gender Identity’ Training From Trans Activists)
Republican candidate Judge Daniel Hawkins secured Deters’ seat, defeating Democratic candidate Judge Lisa Forbes. Hawkins will serve out the remainder of the six-year term, which ends in December 2026.
An Ohio judge blocked the state’s abortion ban in October, portions of which Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost has continued to defend after voters approved an amendment last year making abortion a constitutional right, according to Reuters. The issue could now end up before the state’s Supreme Court.
Candidates and outside groups spent more than $900,000 on television ads during the campaign cycle, according to an estimate from the Brennan Center For Justice.
The Republican State Leadership Committee’s Judicial Fairness Initiative (JFI) announced a seven-figure investment in August in key court races across six states, including Ohio, to “ensure that conservative judges continue to have a voice on the courts and prevent liberals from using majorities to legislate their radical agendas from the bench.”
In May, the National Democratic Redistricting Committee and Planned Parenthood Votes announced a $5 billion effort to target races in the same states: Arizona, Michigan, Montana, North Carolina, Ohio and Texas.
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