Ohio
2024 election will shape the future of the Ohio Supreme Court as it faces some critical issues
The following article was originally published in the Ohio Capital Journal and published on News5Cleveland.com under a content-sharing agreement.
The Ohio Supreme Court could see significant changes if Republicans on the ballot take two seats in November currently held by incumbent Democrats. Meanwhile, two Democrats are facing off in the primary Tuesday for the nomination to run for a third seat up this year.
The 2024 election holds not only potential changes to congressional representation and seats in the Statehouse, but also the bench of the state’s highest court, which decides the legality and constitutionality of state legislation and other issues affecting the entire state.
In 2024, three Ohio Supreme Court seats will be up for election in November. Incumbent Democratic Justice Michael P. Donnelly is being challenged by Republican Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas Judge Megan Shanahan. Incumbent Democratic Justice Melody Stewart is being challenged by incumbent Republican Justice Joseph Deters, who declined to run for his current seat in favor of challenging Stewart.
In a third race — for the seat Deters currently holds — Republican Franklin County Court of Common Pleas Judge Dan Hawkins will face one of two Democrats running for the nomination in the primary tomorrow, Tuesday, March 19: 10th District Court of Appeals Judge Terri Jamison or Eighth District Court of Appeals Judge Lisa Forbes.
The Ohio Supreme Court has been in the spotlight for a number of issues in the last few years, starting with multiple rulings as the state’s redistricting commission went back and forth on Statehouse and congressional voting district maps.
While a majority of the court was consistent in the last two years of decisions, rejecting Statehouse maps five times and congressional maps twice, most recently, bipartisan agreement by members of the Ohio Redistricting Commission drove the conservative justices on the court to keep Statehouse maps adopted in September 2023 after anti-gerrymandering groups sued claiming undue partisan lean.
The biggest change from the previous redistricting decisions was the departure of former Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor, who left the court because of age limits. O’Connor, a Republican, acted as the swing vote in past redistricting decisions, siding with Democratic justices who agreed that the maps unduly favored the Republican Party in a way that didn’t match voting trends of the last 10 years.
O’Connor has now moved on to support reform in the redistricting process as part of a ballot initiative currently in the signature-collecting process to get to the Ohio ballot.
The court was also called upon to rule on issues related to the six-week abortion ban, a piece of legislation that’s been in court almost since its enactment. Most recently, the court ruled against putting the six-week ban back in place while a Hamilton County common pleas court ultimately rules on whether the law is constitutional.
In deciding that the ban would not be put back in place, the bipartisan majority of the court said the appeal would be dismissed because of “a change in law,” likely the newest constitutional amendment in the state that legalizes abortion rights and other reproductive services.
Justice Deters recused himself from the abortion ban case due to his previous position as Hamilton County Prosecuting Attorney. He was listed in the lawsuit because of his capacity as prosecutor.
But Deters was one of the Republican justices who voted to keep the Statehouse redistricting maps in place, signing on to Republican Chief Justice Sharon Kennedy’s opinion that the bipartisan agreement “is a changed circumstance that makes it appropriate to relinquish our continuing jurisdiction over these cases.”
Deters also previously served as Ohio Treasurer but resigned from office in 2004 amid a pay-to-play scandal where his former chief of staff, Matt Borges, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges related to steering state business to Deters campaign donors. Deters was appointed to the state supreme court by Gov. Mike DeWine in 2023 after Kennedy moved up to the chief justice’s chair. Also last year, Borges was sentenced to five years in federal prison after being convicted on racketeering charges related to Ohio’s House Bill 6 utility bailout and bribery scandal.
Now Deters wants to replace fellow Justice Stewart on the Ohio Supreme Court.
Deters has faced criticism – not unlike the criticism fellow Justice Pat DeWine received when he ruled over redistricting cases involving his father, Gov. Mike DeWine – when he acted as a justice in a Hamilton County case, despite his previous recusals.
However, the justice said this was “consistent with Ohio’s Code of Judicial Conduct” and done as part of a plan he divulged to Chief Justice Kennedy, wherein he would not hear Hamilton County cases for one year. After the year, he said he planned to “recuse from those cases in which I participated personally and substantially or about which I expressed an opinion.”
Stewart has been on the court since 2018, previously serving on the Eighth District Court of Appeals and as assistant law director in Cleveland and East Cleveland as well as in academic roles at various Ohio law schools. Donnelly was also first elected in 2018 and previously served as a Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court judge.
In the Democratic primary for the seat currently held by Deters, Eighth District Court appellate judge Forbes is a former private litigator who was elected to her current position in 2020 and is endorsed by the Ohio Democratic Party. The 10th District Court’s Jamison is a former public defender and Franklin County Court of Common Pleas judge who previously launched an unsuccessful challenge against Ohio Supreme Court Justice Pat Fischer in 2022.
Where do bed bugs come from? How they get could get into your home
Does the thought of bed bugs keep you up at night? Here’s what to know.
Columbus remains one of the nation’s top cities for bed bug treatments, according to Orkin’s latest annual rankings, while Ohio continues to dominate the list more than any other state.
Orkin ranked Columbus eighth on its 2026 list of U.S. cities with the most bed bug treatments, the same position the city held last year. Cleveland ranked even higher at No. 4. Cincinnati came in at No. 15.
Overall, six Ohio cities made the Top 50, more than any other state: Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, Youngstown, Dayton and Toledo. The rankings are based on residential and commercial bed bug treatments Orkin performed between May 2025 and May 2026.
Chicago claimed the top spot for the sixth consecutive year, followed by Los Angeles, Detroit, Cleveland and Indianapolis.
Ohio continues to rank high for bed bugs
Ohio’s strong showing on the list comes as the state has repeatedly appeared near the top of national pest rankings.
A recent USA TODAY report, citing an analysis by Casino.ca, estimated Ohio has the second-highest bed bug risk for travelers in the country, behind only Michigan.
The Orkin rankings do not measure the total number of bed bugs in a city. Instead, they reflect where the company performed the greatest number of residential and commercial treatments over the past year.
Columbus has dealt with bed bug sightings before
The rankings also follow several high-profile bed bug incidents in downtown Columbus government offices.
Last fall, The Dispatch reported a bed bug was discovered inside the Ohio Department of Medicaid’s downtown office, prompting treatment of the affected area.
The Dispatch also reported that employees at the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation had reported bed bug sightings, leading to inspections and pest-control efforts.
Those incidents highlighted the challenges large office buildings face when dealing with pests that can hitch rides on clothing, backpacks and luggage rather than originating inside the buildings themselves.
It’s not just bed bugs
Bed bugs aren’t the only pests putting Columbus on Orkin’s radar.
In October 2025, Orkin ranked Columbus No. 21 on its annual “Rattiest Cities” list, a slight improvement from previous years but still among the nation’s leading metro areas for rodent treatments.
Taken together, the rankings suggest central Ohio remains a busy market for pest-control companies as the city holds steady on this year’s bed bug list.
Which Ohio cities made Orkin’s 2026 list?
Among Ohio cities, the rankings were:
- Cleveland– No. 4
- Columbus– No. 8
- Cincinnati– No. 15
- Youngstown– No. 32
- Dayton– No. 38
- Toledo– No. 42
Trending reporter Amani Bayo can be reached at abayo@dispatch.com.
After years of unchecked dominance from the SEC, the Big Ten Conference cemented its place as the best in college football in the 2025-2026 season.
The Indiana Hoosiers completed a remarkable 16-0 season by winning a National Championship, beating Ohio State in the conference championship game, dominating Alabama in the Rose Bowl, then blowing out Oregon in the College Football Playoff semifinal.
That completed a Big Ten trifecta, with the Michigan Wolverines winning a championship in 2024, then the Buckeyes following it up by beating Notre Dame to win the title in 2025. While the SEC might have better depth overall, it’s no question that the top of the Big Ten is as good or better than anyone.
SEC, BIG TEN ARE DOMINATING COLLEGE FOOTBALL THANKS TO MASSIVE ADVANTAGES OVER OTHER CONFERENCES
Indiana Hoosiers head coach Curt Cignetti after defeating the Miami Hurricanes in the College Football Playoff National Championship game at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida on Jan. 19, 2026. (Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images)
And a new program might be ready to take their turn at the top of the Big Ten: those same Oregon Ducks.
One of the most predictive measures of a team’s strength from year to year is how much production they return from the previous season. It makes sense; the more key players that stay with the team, the better it is for continuity and development.
The Big Ten, oddly enough, has several teams that return much of their production on both sides of the ball. ESPN’s Bill Connelly ran the numbers, finding that teams like Maryland, Nebraska, Minnesota and UCLA all ranked in the top 10 nationally in returning value. Though given how these teams played in 2025, that’s less important. Number 12, though? The Oregon Ducks.
And that carryover production is coming from a team that lost just two games all season, both to Indiana. They handled a very good USC team, 42-27, overcame miserable conditions to outlast the Iowa Hawkeyes on the road, beat the rival Washington Huskies, and most impressively, shut out an elite Texas Tech team 23-0 in the College Football Playoff. And they bring back the players responsible for 66% of their overall production, including star quarterback Dante Moore.
Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore (5) warms up prior to the 2025 Orange Bowl and College Football Playoff quarterfinal against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla. (Sam Navarro / Imagn Images)
Just behind them at 65%? USC, heading into a pivotal season under Lincoln Riley.
Here’s where Oregon has the advantage, however. They bring that percentage back from a team that was significantly better than USC. It’s no surprise then, that per Connelly’s SP+ projections, Oregon is expected to be the No. 2 team in the country, by efficiency on offense, defense and special teams.
IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR A BIG 12 WINNER NOT NAMED TEXAS TECH OR BYU, CONSIDER THE HOUSTON COUGARS
What about the other Big Ten schools, though?
USC is the biggest wildcard. They sit at No. 13 in the SP+ projections, thanks to an elite offense and a defense that’s expected to be solid, if unspectacular. But their special teams projections are all the way down at No. 100 in the country, thanks to a series of disastrous mistakes in 2025. Special teams, though, should be the easiest area to improve upon. So if the Trojans can make some adjustments, they could exceed the eight game win expectancy.
Ohio State and Indiana, the two most recent champions, have a bit of a tougher hill to climb, though their roster composition is far from disastrous. The Buckeyes bring back 60% of their production, while Indiana is at 56%, even with several huge departures. That ranks at No. 31 and No. 52, respectively. Important, but not enough to push either team out of the top 5 in the national projections. And Ohio State sits at No. 1, thanks to consistently elite recruiting and key players like Julian Sayin and Jeremiah Smith returning.
Oregon head coach Dan Lanning attends Oregon Pro Day on March 17, 2026, at the Moshofsky Center in Eugene, Oregon. (Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
But if there is an upset brewing at the top of the conference, Oregon might be the place to look. The question then becomes, can they put it all together against a difficult schedule? The Ducks play USC on the road, host Nebraska, travel to Illinois, play Ohio State on the road, host Michigan and have their rivalry game against Washington at Autzen.
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It won’t be easy, but don’t be surprised if at the end of the season, Dan Lanning and the Ducks are right back in the mix.
A Kentucky woman who had been missing for more than two weeks was found dead in her vehicle in Ohio, authorities said.
The body of Debra Wireman was found in her vehicle on July 3 in Clermont County, Ohio, the Flemingsburg Police Department in Kentucky said on Facebook on Wednesday. Investigators were called to the scene after a report identifying the vehicle as belonging to a missing person, police said. The remains were identified as Wireman’s by the Clermont County Coroner’s Office on July 7, according to law enforcement.
Police in Kentucky said the Clermont County Sheriff’s Office in Ohio is investigating the woman’s death. No additional information will be released by Flemingsburg police “out of respect for Debra’s family and the integrity of that investigation.”
“While this is not the outcome any of us hoped and prayed for, we are thankful that Debra has been found and that her family can now begin to receive the closure they deserve,” police added on Facebook.
Wireman, according to police, was last seen on June 17 at around 4:30 p.m. in Aberdeen, Ohio, while traveling toward Maysville, Kentucky. She was driving a white 2020 Kia Forte with front-end damage. Police said family and friends were “concerned for her welfare.”
“The overwhelming response from our community, neighboring agencies, the media, and countless individuals across the region demonstrated the very best of people coming together in the hope of bringing someone home safely,” Flemingsburg police said.
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