COLUMBUS: Ohio’s Democratic chairman says he plans to push for future Ohio Supreme Court races to include party labels after the surprise defeat of a popular Democratic justice on Tuesday.
Chairman Chris Redfern said Wednesday he would introduce legislation following Justice Yvette McGee Brown’s defeat to require party affiliation to be listed on the ballot. Redfern is a newly re-elected state representative.
Redfern said Brown’s opponent, Sharon Kennedy, benefited from a “great ballot name” that prevailed even after $1.5 million spending favoring Brown.
Ohio Republican Chairman Bob Bennett felt the same was the case for former Judge Bill O’Neill, who defeated Republican Justice Robert Cupp.
Bennett said in his native Cuyahoga (ky-uh-HOH’-guh) County, “We elect anybody with a good Irish-American name, even if they wind up going to jail later.”
