Ohio Democratic Party

Friends,

We're all thrilled about Judge Jennifer Brunner's victory, but I wanted to take a moment to explain exactly WHY her win is such a big deal.

The justice-elect's win marks our third flipped seat in two years, and it takes the Ohio Supreme Court from zero Democrats to three (out of seven seats) in two cycles. It was one of only five statewide pickups in the nation -- and the only one in a state where Donald Trump won at the top of the ticket.

The importance of securing the third seat on the Ohio Supreme Court -- the first time we've held three seats since 1994 -- can not be overstated. There's a reason Karl Rove and national Republicans spent well over $1 million on nasty, false ads attacking Judge Brunner.

They knew what we knew -- that this seat was the game changer.

Because Chief Justice Maureen O'Connor -- a Republican -- has opposed the majority by voting against the current maps, we are confident that a majority on this court will reject any attempt to circumvent the Ohio Constitution's new language requiring fair districts. That means the end of decades of gerrymandering and rigged elections in Ohio!

The implications of fair maps are enormous. Ohio is consistently ranked as one of the most gerrymandered states in the country, where politicians choose their voters, not the other way around.

Beyond redistricting, this win is also huge for key issues like reproductive rights and criminal justice reform, on which Chief Justice O'Connor has sided with Democratic justices in the past.

Congratulations to Justice-elect Jennifer Brunner! You are going to make Ohio so proud.

And thank you to every grassroots volunteer and donor who worked over the past five years to pass redistricting reform (not just once, but twice!) and elect three Democratic justices to the state's highest court. It took four elections to achieve this result, but it will pay dividends for the next decade and beyond.

David

David Pepper
Chair
Ohio Democratic Party

OHIO DEMS IN THE HEADLINES

In Case You Missed It ...

At the Ohio Democratic Party, we believe a big part of our mission is building a bench of diverse and talented public servants at the state and local level. Check out some of these Democratic wins you may have missed on Election Night ...

Hamilton County Commission -- Denise Driehaus and Alicia Reece

Franklin County Prosecutor -- Gary Tyack

Hamilton County Sheriff -- Charmaine McGuffey

State Appellate Court Races -- 14 of 22 Candidates Won!

State Board of Education -- Four of Five Candidates Won!

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