COLUMBUS — Cleveland appellate Judge Lisa Forbes on Monday joined the Democratic slate of Ohio Supreme Court candidates in 2024 as the party seeks to build on the theme of this year’s elections of fighting back against what they contend have been Republican “power grabs.”

“That is an important job that the Supreme Court does,” Judge Forbes told The Blade. “It is to ensure that neither the executive branch or legislature oversteps their bounds and that the law is applied fairly and equally. Lastly it is important that all rights that are afforded under the (state) constitution and the federal constitution are fully realized by all citizens. That's the job, and I'm committed to doing it.”

She joins a slate that already includes incumbent Justices Melody Stewart and Michael Donnelly, both seeking their second six-year terms on the high court bench.

The court currently has a 4-3 Republican majority, so Democrats have a chance at flipping the bench. But that has been true for the last several cycles, and Republicans have maintained their majority.

A video announcing the slate makes it clear that Democrats hope to build on the results of the Aug. 8 special election and Nov. 8 general election, both of which were presented as pushing back again Republican super-majorities in the General Assembly.

In August, voters soundly rejected a GOP legislative proposal to make it tougher to amend the Ohio Constitution. Earlier this month, voters proceeded to pass the constitutional amendment that the August vote was at least partly designed to derail, enshrining reproductive rights, including access to abortion, in the state’s Bill of Rights.

The video does not mention either election specifically, but it’s clear the party believes it has momentum.

The three Supreme Court races will be the only statewide offices on next year’s ballot that will otherwise be dominated by races for president and U.S. Senate.

Judge Forbes, 60, will seek to complete the final two years left in the term started by Republican Justice Sharon Kennedy, whom voters promoted to chief justice last year. Gov. Mike DeWine appointed former Hamilton County prosecutor and Ohio Treasurer Joe Deters to that vacancy, but he has announced that he will challenge either Justice Donnelly or Justice Stewart for a full six-year term rather than settle for just two years.

In May, the Ohio Republican Party endorsed its slate — Justice Deters, Franklin County Common Pleas Judge Dan Hawkins, and Hamilton County Common Pleas Judge Megan Shanahan. But it remains unclear who is challenging whom.

“With today’s announcement, the Ohio Democrat Party has chosen to double down on candidates who are soft on crime and will make our communities and families less safe,” ORP Executive Director Cameron Sagester said.

“Justices Donnelly and Stewart will have to explain to the people of Ohio why they voted to prevent judges across Ohio from considering public safety when setting bail for those accused of violent crime, and Judge Forbes will have to explain to voters whether or not she agreed with the decision of her ticket mates,” he said. “In contrast, the Ohio Republican Party’s endorsed candidates, Justice Joe Deters, and Judges Megan Shanahan, and Dan Hawkins, are all former prosecutors who know firsthand the impact judges have on the safety of the people of Ohio.”

Judge Forbes said it doesn't matter that she doesn't know who her opponent will be yet.

“I am running to bring forward my vision on how the court should function, and I am the right person at the right time,” she said.

Judge Forbes was first elected to the Eighth District Court of Appeals in 2020 and was later re-elected to a six-year term that will run through 2028.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in public policy in 1985 at Cornell University and then her law degree in 1992 from Case Western Reserve University. She has been married for 32 years and has three children.

She has yet to complete a full six-year term as a judge but said that does not mean it's too early to aim for the state's highest court.

“Certainly, there are people presently on the court who had never served in a judicial capacity before taking the Supreme Court bench,” she said. “There are others who have roughly the same experience that I do. I think the question is who is the person and what does the individual looking to fill the role bring the bench.

“I bring 27 years of complex litigation practice to the bench,” Judge Forbes said. “I have a high-level, proven understanding of the law and deep commitment to my community.”

First Published November 27, 2023, 4:01 p.m.