OHIO — The AP is reporting Jennifer Brunner (D) and Sharon Kennedy (R) will win the two seats in the Ohio Supreme Court.
Incumbent Justice Judith French, a Republican, was challenged by Democrat Jennifer Brunner, an Appeals Court Judge in Columbus.
With 4,586,527 votes counted so far, Jennifer Brunner is leading with 55.3% of the votes.
Brunner was on the statewide ballot once before as a successful candidate for Ohio Secretary of State. She served as the state’s chief elections officer from 2007 to 2011.
The other race for the court involved Justice Sharon Kennedy, a Republican, who is challenged by Democrat John O’Donnell, a Common Pleas Court Judge from Cleveland.
With 4,677,029 votes counted so far, Sharon L. Kennedy is currently leading with 54.97% of the votes.
These candidates will not have their political parties listed on the ballot as it technically is a non-partisan race.
The Ohio Supreme Court handles the state’s most important legal issues, including every death penalty case, utility issues that affect every Ohioans' electric and gas bills and disputes over the size and shape of Ohio’s Congressional districts when the boundaries are re-drawn every ten years following the U.S. Census.
If both Democratic candidates had won their races for the court, the party would have had a court majority for the first time in more than 30 years.