The election on November 3 will decide a seat on the Ohio Supreme Court. Republican Dan Hawkins and Democrat Marilyn Zayas are running for a six-year term. Hawkins is the incumbent candidate, while Zayas most recently served as an appellate judge for the Ohio First District Court of Appeals. Republican justices currently have a 6-1 majority on the Court.
In recent years, the Court allowed Ohio judges to publicly make political endorsements, allowed prosecutors to appeal when a judge sets aside a jury’s guilty verdict in a criminal case, and held the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, which legalized same-sex marriage, could not be applied retroactively to determine child custody cases.
Matters that may come before the Court in the near future include one that could clarify requirements for renewable energy development in the state.
This guide provides an introduction to each candidate, with statements, relevant rulings, experience, and publicized endorsements. The topics listed below are not comprehensive, but represent what’s available for each candidate through research into news accounts, judicial records, speeches, and other sources. Given that the candidates may have widely different backgrounds, the available topics may not match completely across all candidates. This guide is not intended to predict how a candidate will rule as a justice.
Dan Hawkins is currently a justice on the Ohio Supreme Court, and has served in this role since his election in November 2024. Before this, Hawkins served on the bench at the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas. He started his career in the Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office, holding roles including assistant prosecuting attorney and director of the office’s Special Victims Unit. He earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Bowling Green State University, and his J.D. from Ohio State University Moritz College of Law.
Hawkins’ endorsements include: The Ohio Republican Party, the Fraternal Order of Police of Ohio, Ohio CPA PAC, Ohio Right to Life PAC, and the Ohio Manufacturers’ Association PAC, among others.
Marilyn Zayas is currently a judge on the Ohio First District Court of Appeals, and has served in this role since 2016. She was also selected by the Chief Justice to serve on the Ohio Supreme Court by special assignment for several cases when a justice recused. Before joining the bench, Zayas began her legal career as an intellectual property litigator, worked for the Hamilton County Public Defender’s Office, and founded her own immigration law firm. She earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science from the City College of New York, and her J.D. from the University of Cincinnati College of Law.
Zayas’ endorsements include: The Ohio Democratic Party, the Ohio Education Association, EMILYs List, Ohio Citizen Action, and the Ohio Association of Professional Fire Fighters, among others.
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