Voter Guide 2022: Meet the candidates for appeals court, state school board
Welcome to the 2022 Voter Guide produced by the League of Women Voters and published by the Record-Courier.
This story focuses on countywide races in Portage County for commissioner, auditor and two judicial seats.
Customized ballots based on your address may be found at Vote411.org.
Responses are not edited, vetted or corrected by the League of Women Voters or Record-Courier to allow candidates to speak in their own words.
Complete election coverage can be found on Record-Courier.com.
COURT OF APPEALS – 11TH DISTRICT
Unexpired term ending Feb. 8, 2025.
John J. Eklund
Party: Republican
Education: BA Cum Laude, Political Science and History, Union College J.D. Cum Laude, Washington & Lee University School of Law
Work Experience: 1980-2021 Calfee, Halter & Griswold LLP 2011-2021 Ohio State Senator, 18th District
Campaign Facebook: http://facebook.com/judgeeklund
Why are you running for this particular court seat? It is to fulfill a commitment to service that I made to myself when I accepted the Governor's appointment; I do not shirk commitments It is the only service position that has the ability to restrain abuses of power by both of the other two constitutional branches of government, while at the same time protecting the inherent rights of the people; to do my part to burnish our system of justice. So I can use my legal expertise, my legislative experience and my position to perform what I believe is the most important resposibility of a public official - to establish, maintain or enhance the peoples' confidence in our system of government
COURT OF APPEALS – 11TH DISTRICT
Term commencing Feb. 9, 2023.
Eugene A. Lucci
Party: Republican
Campaign Website: http://eugenelucci.com
Education: J.D., Cleveland-Marshall College of Law 1980; Master of Judicial Studies, University of Nevada, Reno 2012
Work Experience: Common Pleas Judge since 2001, Practicing Trial Attorney for 20 years; Police Officer for 13 years (7 years overlapping as attorney and police officer)
Why are you running for this particular court seat? None of the five judges currently on the Eleventh District Court of Appeals has any experience as an active-duty trial judge. No judge currently on the Eleventh District Court of Appeals has sentenced a criminal felon or presided over a felony or major jury trial. I have handled over 26,000 cases in the common pleas court, and have sentenced over 6,000 felony offenders, and conducted well over 300 jury trials. None of the current judges on the court of appeals have ever served as a police officer. I have done all of these things. Such experience and insight is invaluable to the function of an appellate judge in reviewing the work of police officers, trial attorneys, and trial judges. I have written extensively. My 47 years of experience as a police officer, teacher, author, trial attorney, and trial judge will fill this hole with an experienced jurist who will consistently and faithfully follow and apply the law.
Thomas R. Wright
Party: Democrat
Campaign Website: http://judgetomwright.com
Education: Kirtland High School 1982; Ohio State University, B.S., Business Adminstration 1986; University of Toledo, College of Law, J.D., with honors 1991.
Work Experience: Law Clerk for Judge Donald R. Ford Sr. January 1992-May 1995. As a clerk, I primarily researched and wrote draft opinions for the court. Trial Lawyer May 1995-January 2011. In my civil practice, I represented plaintiffs and defendants in the areas of professional malpractice, product liability, and general negligence and insurance coverage. My criminal law practice consisted of misdemeanor and felony defense. I have tried numerous jury trials and was named the 2005-2006 Mahoning County Lawyer of the Year for performing outstanding legal work. February 2011-Present. Judge, Eleventh District Court of Appeals. I currently serve as the Presiding and Administrative Judge. I have also decided cases in the Second, Fifth, Sixth, Seventh and Ninth
Why are you running for this particular court seat? I have served as your appellate judge for the last twelve years and would like to continue my service. My 15 years working with the appellate court as both a law clerk and judge are a benefit to the district. And over the last twelve years the lawyers within the district have consistently held me in high regard.
STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION – DISTRICT 9
Robert R. Fulton
Education: Graduate of Wickliffe High School, Lake County; Lake Erie College – Bachelor of Science in Education and Master of Science in Curriculum Education. Post Graduate Studies for Educational Administration: Notre Dame College, St. John College–Cleveland,
Current Occupation: Educator–Teacher, grades K-12; Supervisor and Principal, K-12 Presently retired and a member of the Streetsboro School Board, Portage County.
Qualifications: Superintendent License, State of Ohio; Elementary Teacher license, Principal license K-8; Supervisor license. Reasons for seeking this position: to help develop policy for equity funding; to provide incentives for corporations to stay and locate in Ohio; to reduce taxes; to protect our land and water, student internships could be developed.
What efforts would you make to assure that the local and state taxes following students, in the form of EdChoice vouchers, results in quality education? All students would be tested by national normed tests, as PSAT, ACT, or SAT. Teachers would have more input as to individual proficiency of a student.
What is your own experience with public education as a student, parent, and/or educator? 40 years. As a student–Cleveland Schools–Kindergarten. Wickliffe Public Schools, 1st-12th. Madison Local Schools: teacher, 4th grade. Union Local: principal, Title I (K-12) coordinator, K-8 reading teacher. Hillsdale Local, Jeromesville: K-8. Pickaway: 6th grade teacher, principal K-6. Bedford: K-12 teacher/principal; Crestview Local: K-4 principal, Title II coordinator. As a parent my 2 daughters went to public school and graduated from Kent State Univ. and Youngstown Univ.
John P. Hagan
Education: Marlington High School Magna Cum Laude class of 1973. Kent State University School of Architecture attended.
Current Occupation: Owner-Operator Hagan Heating and Plumbing 1976 to present. District 9 Member State Board of Education 2019 to present.
Qualifications: Business owner 46 years. Married to Tina 45 years. Father of four, Grandfather of 11. Township Trustee 19 years. State Legislator 8 years. Member State Board of Education 4 years.
What efforts would you make to assure that the local and state taxes following students, in the form of EdChoice vouchers, results in quality education? Although it is impossible to assure the best outcomes, monitoring results and advising friends in the Legislature of needed changes is the best way to see that taxpayer expenditures bring about positive results.
What is your own experience with public education as a student, parent, and/or educator? I am the product of public education, attending Marlington schools grades 1-12 and Kent State University. All of our children attended and graduated from Marlington schools grades k-12. Public education served all of us very well, we are all well rounded productive members of society.
This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: 2022 Election: Appeals court, state school board on ballot
