Supreme Court of Ohio Dust Up May Result in GOP Advantage

Supreme Court of Ohio Justice William O’Neill, a Democrat, announced earlier this autumn that he would run for governor in 2018. Justice O’Neill is barred from re-election to the Supreme Court due to age limits.

Upon announcing his gubernatorial aspiration, Justice O’Neill was prompted to recuse himself from all pending court rulings. More recently Justice O’Neill became embroiled in controversy stemming from social media statements he made. This, combined with his intent to remain a compensated member of the high court throughout the 2018 campaign, has prompted various parties to call for his immediate resignation. 

In the past week, Justice O’Neill has promised to resign by January 26; Ohio legislative leaders have pledged to begin removal proceedings.

If O’Neill does leave the court, Governor Kasich will have an opportunity to fill the vacancy by appointment. Top contenders are Judge Craig Baldwin and Judge Mary DeGenaro, both of whom were recently endorsed by the Ohio GOP as candidates in the 2018 Supreme Court election next fall. 12/14/2017