Summit County Democrats appoint Elliot Kolkovich to fill county prosecutor vacancy
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Elliot Kolkovich is Summit County’s new prosecutor – at least for now.
The Summit County Democratic Party’s Central Committee appointed Kolkovich to fulfill the remainder of Sherri Bevan Walsh’s term through the end of the year. Walsh, the county’s longest-serving prosecutor, retired last week for health reasons.
Kolkovich will have to run in the November election to hold the seat and faces serious competition from John Greven, a former assistant prosecutor who is now a prominent defense attorney.
The Democrats also chose Brandon Ford for the open District 5 seat on Summit County Council. Veronica Sims, who held that seat, was appointed to the 33rd Ohio House District to replace Tavia Galonski who recently was tapped to be the Summit County Common Pleas Court clerk.
Sims is the only candidate who has filed to run for the 33rd district seat in the Nov. 5 election. Galonski, though, will face competition to keep the clerk seat.
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Ford has competition in the March 19 primary from Ralph Paulk. The winner will run against Cynthia Blake, a Republican, in the November election.
Walsh, 63, had pulled petitions to run again but announced last month that she would retire Feb. 16. She had heart surgery in January because of COVID-19 complications and said she was no longer able to give the job “the high level of devotion” it demands.
Walsh will have a retirement party in March.
More: Craiglist killer and sledgehammer slayings: Highlights from Sherri Bevan Walsh's tenure
Kolkovich also pulled petitions in case Walsh decided against running.
Who is Elliot Kolkovich?
Kolkovich began his law career with the Summit County Prosecutor's Office in 2010, where he interned while waiting to take the bar exam.
After passing the bar, he accepted a position in the Summit County Prosecutor's Office's juvenile division, where he handled abuse, neglect and dependency cases. In February 2012, Elliot moved to the criminal division, where he spent more than 10 years prosecuting felony offenses.
Kolkovich served as an assistant U.S. attorney for eight months. In May 2023, he returned to the Summit County Prosecutor's Office as the community outreach prosecutor.
Kolkovich ran for a Statehouse seat in 2018.
Tom Bevan, the chairman of the Summit County Democratic Party who also is Walsh’s brother, has said he would have been happy to see her run again but supported her decision to concentrate on her health. He said he thinks Kolkovich will do a great job in her stead.
Kolkovich will have a public swearing-in ceremony at 2:30 p.m. Friday in the atrium of the Summit County Courthouse, 209 S. High St., which is just outside of probate court.
Stephanie Warsmith can be reached at swarsmith@thebeaconjournal.com, 330-996-3705 and on Twitter: @swarsmithabj.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Democrats pick Elliot Kolkovich as Summit County's new prosecutor
