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Balance of Power: The Politics, Policies and People

2018 was a big election year in Ohio. Republicans held onto all five statewide executive offices including governor and super majorities in both the Ohio House and Senate. But there were a few bright spots for Democrats, among them the reelection of U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown and the election of two Democrats to the Ohio Supreme Court.With election 2018 over, the focus now shifts to governing. Stay connected with the latest on politics, policies and people making the decisions at all levels affecting your lives.

Ohio Lawmakers Want O'Neill Out of Office Sooner; Kasich Accepts Applications for His Replacement

Ideastream Public Media | By Karen Kasler

Published December 16, 2017 at 2:05 PM EST

The only Democrat on the Ohio Supreme Court announced in October that he intends to run for governor next year. Bill O’Neill says he won’t leave the bench until Jan. 26. But state lawmakers may try to force him out sooner.

O’Neill had long said he was out of the race if formerConsumer Financial Protection Bureau head Richard Cordray joined it, which he did. But O’Neill says since no candidate has supported legalizing marijuana, he’ll stay in the race. But he won’t quit the state high court until next month.

Republican Senate President Larry Obhof says there’s almost universal agreement that a sitting justice can’t run for a partisan office.

“I think basically everybody interprets it the same way except for Justice O’Neill. And there is a very good chance that when we come back in January, we will have a resolution ready to seek his removal from office," Obhof says.

Republican Gov. John Kasich gets to pick O’Neill’s replacement and is accepting applications through Dec. 29.