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This Election Could Change Balance Of Ohio Supreme Court

Ohio Supreme Court chambers in Columbus, Ohio.
Dan Konik
/
Statehouse News Bureau
Ohio Supreme Court chambers in Columbus, Ohio.

In this week's episode of Snollygoster, Ohio's politics podcast from WOSU, hosts Mike Thompson and Steve Brown discuss the possibility of Democrats gaining the majority on the Ohio Supreme Court. Shane Stegmiller, Statehouse reporter for Hannah News Service, joins the show.

Listen to Snollygoster on theWOSU Public Media mobile app, on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And make sure to leave a rating and review!

In this week's episode:
Supreme Courting Voters

It's not just the White House that could shift to the left this election. For the first time since 1993, Democrats could gain the majority on the Ohio Supreme Court.

That would happen if both Republican incumbents Sharon Kennedy and Judi French lose to Democratic challengers John O’Donnell and Jennifer Brunner. Technically, Kennedy is running against O’Donnell and French is running against Brunner, but for all intents and purposes, the two Republicans and two Democrats are running as pairs – kind of like a ticket.

The lack of party identification for judges on ballots can confuse voters. In the past, little known candidates with strong Irish names have beaten well respected incumbents. Is that going to happen this time?

Both incumbents are well known, and Sharron Kennedy has a good Irish name in her favor. French has beaten O’Donnell before, but now O’Donnell is back and taking on Kennedy. Brunner is also well known in her own right as a former secretary of state – the only woman to hold that post in Ohio.

Snollygosters Of The Week: Vice President Mike Pence and Cardale Jones

Former Ohio State University football star Cardale Jones showed up at therecent campaign event held by Vice President Mike Pence in Columbus. Jones says he was not there to endorse any candidate, and was just there as a guest of the company’s owner.

That may be the case, but Pence didn't miss the opportunity to point him out from the stage. 

Send questions and comments to snollygoster@wosu.org.

Mike Thompson spends much of his time correcting people who mispronounce the name of his hometown – Worcester, Massachusetts. Mike studied broadcast journalism at Syracuse University when he was not running in circles – as a distance runner on the SU track team.
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