Ohio Democrats Target Supreme Court Seats as Brunner Seeks Re-election
Justice Jennifer Brunner stands alone as Ohio’s only Democratic Supreme Court justice, but she senses changing political winds as she prepares for November’s election.
COLUMBUS, OHIO — Ohio Supreme Court Justice Jennifer Brunner, the sole Democrat on the state’s highest court, will face Republican challenger Colleen O’Donnell in November as Democrats aim to alter the 6-1 Republican majority that has dominated since partisan labels were added to judicial races.
Brunner, who has served on the court since 2021, expressed optimism about changing political dynamics across Ohio during the Democratic Party’s primary night event Tuesday. “As I travel the state, I am taken by the movement, the energy, the sort of undertow that I’m sensing from the counties around the state,” Brunner said.
Republican Primary Results
O’Donnell, a former Franklin County Common Pleas Judge, secured the Republican nomination by capturing 32% of the vote in unofficial results from the Ohio Secretary of State. She defeated a crowded field of appellate judges by fewer than 18,000 votes over her closest competitor, Fifth District Court of Appeals Judge Andrew King.
“This is not just a victory for my campaign team, but for all Ohioans who support law and order, public safety, and fair, consistent court decisions,” O’Donnell said in a statement Tuesday night.
Court’s Partisan Shift
The Ohio Supreme Court underwent a transformation after Republican state lawmakers introduced party labels to judicial races beginning in 2022. The change shifted the court’s composition from a 4-3 Republican majority to the current 6-1 split.
The most significant losses for Democrats occurred in 2024, when Justice Melody Stewart and Justice Michael P. Donnelly were defeated by Republican justices Joe Deters and Megan Shanahan, leaving Brunner as the court’s sole Democratic member.
“I don’t mind it,” Brunner said of her isolated position. “But I sure would like a little more company.”
Looking Toward November
Brunner acknowledged the challenging electoral environment facing Democratic judicial candidates in Ohio but suggested momentum may be shifting in favor of her party. Until 2025, she shared the bench with two other Democratic justices before the Republican wave eliminated Democratic representation except for her seat.
The November general election will determine whether Democrats can begin rebuilding their presence on Ohio’s highest court or if Republicans will maintain their overwhelming advantage in shaping state judicial policy.
