Ohio Supreme Court Justice Sues State Over Election Law to Elect State Supreme Court Justices & State Appellate Court Judges

Posted on by November 25, 2023
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On November 7, 2023, Ohio Supreme Court Associate Justice Jennifer Brunner filed this Complaint in US District Court for the Northern District of Ohio (Eastern Division). The case is Brunner v LaRose, n.d., 4:23cv-2180. It is assigned to U.S. District Court Judge Benita Y. Pearson, an Obama appointee.

She is suing the State of Ohio, because:

#1: A new law in 2022 required candidates for Ohio Supreme Court Justice and candidates for State Appeals Court Judge to have a partisan political party label, while all elections for lower level judgeships are non-partisan; and

#2: Ohio Supreme Court Justice and State Appeals Court candidates must adhere to the same Code of Judicial Conduct while running for office to which the lower level judges must adhere; and

#3: Ohio requires justices and judges to resign if they are running for another partisan office that is not a judicial office; and

#4: Judge candidates are not allowed to run for and take office after the age of 70, even though many politicians, including current Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, have done so.

Brunner is a Democrat and a former Ohio Secretary of State. In 2020, she won election as an Associate Justice to the Ohio Supreme Court, winning in 40 of Ohio’s 88 counties as a non-partisan candidate.

In 2022, she was defeated in her run for Chief Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court as a partisan candidate, winning only 18 counties.

Justice Brunner’s current term ends at the end of 2026. She implies that she might seek reelection. If she is reelected in 2026, her new term would start 36 days before her 70th birthday.

Joe Manchin, West Virginia Democrat, Announces He Will Not Seek Reelection to US Senate in 2024

Posted on by November 9, 2023
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Here is his announcement from today on X, formerly Twitter.

It was difficult to see a path to reelection victory for Manchin, who is 76 years of age. Current West Virginia Governor Jim Justice, a Republican, is considered the odds-on favorite to win next year’s US Senate election.

The tenor of Sen. Manchin’s remarks will fuel speculation that he might team up with former Maryland Governor Larry Hogan or former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman as part of the No Labels presidential ticket.

When Mr. Manchin was Governor of West Virginia, I personally lobbied the state legislature to reduce ballot access barriers in The Mountaineer State. Gov. Manchin said he would sign such legislation if it made it through the West Virginia House and Senate. It did, and he kept his word by signing the legislation. For that, I thank him.

And, thanks to Political Wire, for this interesting news.

Working Families Party Elects Two Members to Philadelphia City Council

Posted on by November 8, 2023
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On November 7, two Working Families Party nominees were elected to at-large spots on the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania city council. The election is partisan, and uses limited voting. Seven at-large seats are up but no party is permitted to run more than five nominees. So with only five Democrats on the ballot, this means it is inevitable that some other party will win the other two seats. Effectively the race was between the Republican nominees and the Working Families nominees.

Four years ago the Working Families Party elected Kendra Brooks. She was re-elected yesterday, and another WFP nominee, Nicholas O’Rourke, also won. Thanks to Independent Political Report for this news.