Cleveland attorney replaces Austintown candidate for Supreme Court

COLUMBUS

A Democratic state senator from the Cleveland area will take an Austintown attorney’s place on the November ballot for Supreme Court justice.

Michael Skindell was selected by the Ohio Democratic Party on Tuesday night to run in place of Bob Price, who dropped out of the race after securing the party nomination in an unopposed primary.

Price didn’t raise funds for a campaign and said he didn’t have enough money for the race.

Skindell is midway through his first term in the Ohio Senate, a seat he will retain if unsuccessful in the general election against incumbent Justice Terrence O’Donnell.

Skindell said he decided to run for the Supreme Court bench “to bring balance to the court and ensure that I stand up to any injustice on any issues that come before the court.”

He added, “There’s seven justices. A Democrat has not won a seat on the Supreme Court since 2000... There is one Democrat sitting on the court [who was appointed by former Gov. Ted Strickland]. ... I think all voices and all access to the court should be provided to the citizens of Ohio.”

But Ohio Republican Party Chairman Bob Bennett was quick to criticize Skindell’s selection, saying in a released statement that the senator’s “left-wing ideology” makes him unfit for the state’s highest court.

For the complete story, read Wednesday's Vindicator or Vindy.com.