Brunner seeks second Ohio Supreme Court term in 2026

Justice Jennifer Brunner, a Democrat on the Ohio Supreme Court since 2021, is running for a second term in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election. She faces Republican Colleen T. O'Donnell.

Brunner's career in law and public service spans more than four decades, including time as the state's first female secretary of state. On her campaign website, she lists criminal justice reform, access to justice through technology and civil rights among her priorities. Butler County voters will see this race on their ballots.

Candidate information

Office sought: Ohio Supreme Court Justice (Term Commencing 1/2)
Party: Democratic
Birthplace: Springfield, Ohio
Education: Bachelor's degree in sociology, Miami University (1978); juris doctor, Capital University (1983)
Opponent: Colleen T. O'Donnell (Republican)

Experience and public service

Brunner began her legal career as an attorney at the Ohio Secretary of State's Office from 1983 to 1987, according to her biography on the Supreme Court of Ohio website. She also served as a committee secretary and legislative aide in the Ohio Senate.

She founded a private law firm and practiced from 1988 to 2000. She then won election as a Franklin County Common Pleas judge, serving from 2000 to 2005. During that time, she founded the county's adult felony drug court in 2004, the TIES Program (Treatment is Essential to Success), according to the Supreme Court biography. The program is still in operation.

Brunner served as Ohio secretary of state from 2007 to 2011, overseeing the 2008 presidential election. In 2008, she received the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award for her public service in that role, according to the Supreme Court biography. The award recognizes politically courageous leadership. She is the first of two Ohioans to receive it.

She ran in the 2010 Democratic primary for U.S. Senate. After leaving the secretary of state's office, she worked as a rule of law expert and consultant for USAID and the U.S. State Department from 2011 to 2014, and was a partner at Brunner Quinn during that same period. She served as a judge on the Tenth District Ohio Court of Appeals from 2014 to 2021 before joining the Supreme Court. She was the Democratic nominee for chief justice in 2022.

Brunner is studying remotely at the University of York in the United Kingdom for a Ph.D. in sociology, according to the Erie County Democrats. Her research centers on the return of artifacts looted during colonial occupations.

On the issues

The following positions are Brunner's own stated priorities, as listed on her campaign platform.

Access to justice: Brunner says she wants to promote greater access to justice through technology initiatives to keep people safe and make remote participation easier.
Bail reform: She says she supports bail reform for greater equality for Ohioans.
Criminal justice data: She says she wants to join initiatives to identify systemic racism in the criminal justice system through the creation of sentencing data across Ohio.
Civil rights: She says she wants to make it easier for transgender individuals to access accurate records such as birth certificates.