Ohio Supreme Court Rules Judge Nathan Manning Can Stay on Summit County Ballot
COLUMBUS — The Ohio Supreme Court announced on Oct. 9 that it had rejected a challenge to Republican Judge Nathan Manning's candidacy brought by Summit County Democratic Party Chairman Mark Derrig, ruling that Manning can remain on Summit County ballots as a candidate for the Ninth District Court of Appeals.
The eligibility fight traces back to a summer appointment. Judge Donna Carr retired from the Ninth District Court seat on May 31, and Gov. Mike DeWine appointed Manning to the vacancy in July. Manning is now running to retain the seat, facing Democratic opponent Tavia Galonski, the Summit County Clerk of Courts.
Derrig argued that Manning was ineligible because he had already won his party's primary for the race to represent Ohio House District 52, so the party committee could not certify him for another office. He cited the last sentence of Ohio Revised Code 3513.31(I): if a person has been nominated in a primary election, the party's authorized committee shall not select and certify a different person as the party candidate.
Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose had already said Manning could remain on the ballot, and the dispute was escalated to the Supreme Court. The court explained that the statute is designed for situations in which the officeholder resigns before the primary, leaving no primary winner — in which case the party may select a candidate. But if a candidate seeks the office through the primary and wins it, the party cannot ignore the winner and pick its own candidate for the general election.
The ruling clears the last legal hurdle in Summit County's judicial race. The Manning–Galonski contest will proceed as scheduled, with voters deciding who holds the Ninth District Court of Appeals seat.
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Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: w_lemay 摄，CC0（Wikimedia Commons）
