After withdrawing its endorsement of Summit County Common Pleas Court Judge Kelly McLaughlin, the Summit County Democratic Party is running an opposition candidate in the May primary to unseat McLaughlin, who is seeking reelection.
Attorney Lakisha Mialon Morris is running against McLaughlin in what is gearing up to be a busy year for judicial elections, according to the Summit County Board of Elections’ primary election candidate list.
Every local judge race will be contested in the November general election, but McLaughlin is the only candidate facing a primary challenger.
It is uncommon for the political party of an incumbent candidate to run a candidate in opposition to the incumbent.
This is the latest wave of political infighting among county Democrats since McLaughlin accused Summit County Democratic Party Chair Mark Derrig of bribery in January.
Derrig’s attorney, Donald Malarcik, has denied the criminal allegation, calling it “political theater.”
Who is running for McLaughlin’s seat?
Running as a Democrat but registered with neither major party, according to the Summit County Board of Elections, Morris is an Akron native and a private attorney. She practices criminal, family, probate and eviction law with a focus on domestic and sexual violence and rehabilitation, her campaign website explains.
She is also the defense attorney for Summit County Common Pleas Court’s Turning Point program, which helps defendants reach sobriety.
Morris declined to comment on the allegations McLaughlin made against Derrig, citing the Ohio Code of Judicial Conduct.
“I’m proud to be endorsed by the Summit County Democratic Party. I am conscious of their bylaws and I’m happy my values align with the democratic voters in this community,” Morris wrote in an email. “I also very much look forward to bringing my lived experience to the General Division of the Common Pleas Court as a woman of color, a perspective that is absent on that bench and much needed in our current state of affairs in this community.”
The winner of the Democratic primary will face defense attorney John Greven, a Republican, in the November election. Greven is a longtime defense attorney who previously worked at the Summit County Prosecutor’s Office.
Greven has represented defendants in numerous high-profile cases over the last 24 years.
Who else is running for judge in Summit County?
Starting on the appellate level, Republican Cynthia Curtin hopes to unseat incumbent Ninth District Court of Appeals Judge Betty Sutton. Curtin was appointed as a Stow Municipal Court judge in 2025 but lost the election to now-Judge Amber Zibritosky.
With Summit County Juvenile Judge Linda Teodosio reaching the state’s age limit to run for a judiciary post, two newcomers will vie for the seat. Former Summit County Common Pleas Court Judge Amy Corrigall Jones, a Democrat, will square off against Republican Summit County Domestic Court Magistrate David Lombardi.
Incumbent Republican Domestic Relations Judge Katarina Cook is seeking reelection. She will face attorney Lisa Dean, a Democrat.
Probate Court Judge Elinore Marsh Stormer also has reached the judicial election age limit. Probate Court’s Chief Magistrate Steve Elliot, a Democrat, and Barberton Municipal Court Judge Diana Stevenson, a Republican, are running for the bench.
There are six contested Summit County Common Pleas Court elections this year, including the McLaughlin-Morris-Greven race.
Republican incumbent Judge Tammy O’Brien will go against Democrat Tania Nemer, a former Cleveland federal immigration judge who was fired 15 days into President Donald Trump’s second term. Nemer is suing the U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, alleging the federal government violated civil rights laws in her firing.
Judge Alison McCarty, a Republican, will face off against Democrat attorney Job Esau Perry, a probate court magistrate and former Akron School Board member.
Judge Mary Margaret Rowlands, a Democrat, is seeking reelection against Republican Megan Gabrail, a judicial attorney with the Ninth District Court of Appeals.
Christine Croce, incumbent Republican common pleas judge, is running against Democrat John Galonski, a chief assistant Summit County prosecutor.
Democratic Judge Joy Malek Oldfield will run against Republican attorney Joe Darwal.
Bryce Buyakie is an Akron-based reporter who covers the courts and public safety for the Beacon Journal. He can be reached by email at bbuyakie@gannett.com or on X @bryce_buyakie.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Summit County Democrats challenge Democratic judge’s reelection
Reporting by Bryce Buyakie, Akron Beacon Journal / Akron Beacon Journal
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