All 4 Ohio Supreme Court candidates will participate in a virtual forum Oct. 9
Democratic ex-Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner (top right) will face Republican Justice Judith French (top left), while Republican Justice Sharon Kennedy (bottom left) is being challenged by Democratic Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge John P. O'Donnell (bottom right).
COLUMBUS, Ohio - The four candidates running for the Ohio Supreme Court have agreed to participate in a virtual forum Oct. 9.
A previously announced Supreme Court debate Sept. 22 was canceled due to the court having scheduled cases, according to the nonpartisan Ohio Debate Commission, which is organizing the forum.
The forum’s participants will be Republican Justice Sharon Kennedy and challenger Democrat John P. O’Donnell, a Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court judge; and GOP Justice Judith French, and Democratic challenger Jennifer L. Brunner, an Ohio 10th District Court of Appeals judge and former Ohio Secretary of State.
“Judicial elections often are unnoticed and overlooked,” said Dan Moulthrop, Ohio Debate Commission president and CEO of the City Club of Cleveland. “Yet the Ohio Supreme Court races are uniquely important and the ODC forum will help people compare candidates side by side, something we’re not seeing much of this cycle.”
Former Ohio Supreme Court Justices Yvette McGee Brown and Judith Lanzinger, and retired Judge Ronald Adrine have identified topics for the forum, and also ensured issues aren’t brought up that the candidates can’t discuss due to ethical concerns of potential cases.
Neither Ohio Debate Commission, the candidates nor their campaigns will know the questions ahead of time.
Karen Kasler, Ohio Public Radio & TV Statehouse News Bureau chief, and Curtis Jackson, Spectrum News 1 Ohio anchor, will moderate the debate.
The specifics on how to watch the forum haven’t yet been announced. The forum will be in the evening and the recording will be released shortly afterward across as many parts of the state as possible.