Republican Ohio Supreme Court Justice Pat Fischer has dropped a bid to challenge colleague Jennifer Brunner next year after a state GOP panel recommended endorsing a different candidate on Saturday.
Fischer planned to challenge Brunner even though his own seat is not up for re-election. Winning the party’s nomination and then defeating Brunner next November would have allowed him to remain on the court for an extra four years.
As it stands, Fischer, 67, faces mandatory retirement when his current term expires at the end of 2028. The state constitution bars anyone 70 or older from running for a judicial office. But he’s eligible to run next year. And had he won, he would have been allowed to stay in office through 2032.
Fischer’s decision to drop out came shortly after a vote by an Ohio Republican Party panel screening judicial candidates for next year’s election. The panel passed on Fischer, instead recommending endorsing Ohio Second District Court of Appeals Ron Lewis in next May’s Republican primary election.
The Ohio Republican Party’s central committee will meet on Sept. 5 to consider endorsing in the race. Traditionally, the screening committee’s recommendation is very influential in that process.
As of now, there are four remaining candidates running in the Republican primary for the seat currently held by Brunner, a Democrat, who’s the lone Democrat to hold statewide office, including on the court.
The Ohio Supreme Court is the state’s top court, giving it the final say in interpreting state law, including on hot-button political topics like government funding of private schools, transgender issues and abortion.
Fischer explains his decision
In an interview on Tuesday, Fischer told Signal Ohio that he’d previously told party officials that he’d drop out of the race if he failed to get the recommendation vote from the state GOP screening committee.
“I’m a man of my word, and I’m out,” Fischer said.
Fischer also said he believed his decision to try to switch seats may have hurt him in the committee’s eyes. But he said challenging Brunner was not about extending his political career but was a political calculation. He said he ran because he believes he is the strongest candidate to defeat her.
“I don’t need the extra four years. I did OK because I’m an attorney, in terms of making money,” Fischer said, adding that his family didn’t want him to run.
State GOP serves as powerbroker, especially in judicial races
Saturday’s vote from the state GOP screening committee doesn’t yet carry any official weight. But the recommendation has been enough in the past to clear the field. Court rules limit judicial candidates from some traditional campaigning and fundraising activities. And such races tend to fly under voters’ attention, so party endorsements are very beneficial.
The gaggle of Republicans lining up to challenge the court’s lone Democrat reflects the confidence that the GOP has that Ohio is a solid red state that favors them in statewide elections. Republican candidates have done better and better in Ohio over the past decade, and the trend recently extended to judicial races after the GOP-controlled state legislature voted in 2021 to add partisan labels to the ballot for judicial candidates.
Focus shifts to other candidates
In a statement, Lewis thanked the party for the endorsement recommendation, calling it an honor.
“The Committee’s commitment to thoughtfully and deliberately considering the strengths of each candidate is a testament to the organization’s dedication to electing conservative candidates in court races. I’m looking forward to earning the endorsement of the full State Central Committee and, ultimately, representing the Party well on the ballot,” Lewis said.
Signal Ohio asked the remaining three candidates – Rocky River Municipal Court Judge Joseph Burke, Fifth District Court of Appeals Judge Andrew King and ex-Franklin County Common Pleas Judge Colleen O’Donnell – whether they plan to remain in the race.
King’s campaign spokesperson, Matt Dole, said in a text message that King “is watching to see what the full committee does before making any decisions either way.”
In a text message, O’Donnell said she respects the screening committee’s vote, and “will look forward to hearing who the full State Central Committee endorses” in September.
“I remain grateful for the hard work of all committee members, and will support the endorsed candidate to secure victory in November 2026,” O’Donnell said.