Opinion: Ohio Supreme Court races could impact state for years to come
The midterm elections are coming up in a matter of days, and as always Ohioans should focus on electing the most qualified candidates − regardless of political party.
If you watch TV, the current crop of political ads is hard to miss. They are setting spending records − again − and each ad uses powerful tools to try and convince viewers to vote for their outstanding candidate or against the not-so-qualified opponent.
This year, Ohio voters are being treated to something rare: The party affiliation of Ohio Supreme Court candidates appears on the ballot − something that hasn’t happened since before World War I. Republicans who control most of state government are responsible for the change, hoping that Ohio’s GOP tilt will extend to Supreme Court contests and keep Ohio’s highest tribunal in their hands.
The change occurred before the U.S. Supreme Court energized Democratic-leaning voters by overturning Roe v. Wade. In Ohio, the fall of Roe gave state legislators authority to say when − and whether − women and girls can access an abortion without leaving the state. It also gave the Ohio Supreme Court power to determine if a state constitutional amendment forbidding Ohio from interfering in women’s health-care decision-making means that abortion restrictions are not allowed under the Ohio Constitution.
Even absent the fall of Roe, the court has great power to reshape Ohio’s politics and the lives of its residents. The next court is expected to decide cases that could affect the size of our utility bills, whether Ohioans injured by wrongdoers can collect the full amount of damages juries say they are owed, and even the future of extreme partisan gerrymandering.
Ohio voters must be properly educated on who, in their opinion, will best be suited to make decisions that will impact their lives for decades. In short: The stakes are high. That’s why Common Cause Ohio created Judge The Ads, a new website that we hope will answer voters’ important questions about the court candidates − and those who are trying to influence this year’s court contests. We did our best to help you learn more about the candidates; follow the money behind the TV, radio and online ads; and evaluate new ads as quickly as we can track them.
This year, there are three Ohio Supreme Court races on the ballot, including the one for the position of chief justice. In addition to helping voters follow the money behind the flood of ads, Judge the Ads is intended to help Ohio voters identify which court candidates share their values and what their pasts tell us about how they might rule in the future.
Voters who care about the court must be extra vigilant. Rules that govern judicial ethics limit what court candidates can say about issues that could come before them. Those limits invite a flurry of ads paid for by so-called "dark money’" groups created to intentionally hide who is paying for them. Because dark money groups cannot legally coordinate with candidates’ official campaigns, some have a history of being elastic with the facts, giving their chosen candidates the ability to distance themselves from the deception.
The last few years have demonstrated the fragility of our democracy. We confronted a global pandemic, civil unrest, and extreme political partisanship. Fortunately, state court judges have stepped up during this difficult time to protect the sanctity of our elections and stop radical politicians from taking away our rights and freedoms. We need independent state courts now more than ever.
We also need your help.
If you see an Ohio Supreme Court ad that we have not yet posted and evaluated, please send a copy to cturcer@commoncause.org, and feel free to tell us what you think about it.
Catherine Turcer is executive director of Common Cause Ohio, a nonpartisan grassroots organization dedicated to upholding the core values of American democracy.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Opinion: Ohio Supreme Court races could impact state for years to come
