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Three candidates are seeking the governor’s appointment for Columbiana County Municipal Court seat
LISBON
Gov. John Kasich is expected to select a replacement for a Columbiana County Municipal Court judge almost right after the position is officially vacant.
The last day on the job for Judge Carol Ann Robb of New Waterford is Sunday. She is leaving to join the Youngstown-based 7th District Court of Appeals, effective Feb. 9. She won a six-year term in the November general election for a seat on that court.
Judge Robb’s ceremonial swearing-in will take place at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday at the court of appeals building, 131 W. Federal St. in Youngstown. Justice Sharon L. Kennedy of the Ohio Supreme Court will administer the oath.
The Columbiana County Republican Party forwarded the names of the three people who applied to fill the vacancy to Kasich, a Republican, who, as governor, fills all judicial vacancies.
The candidates are: Megan Forsythe of Hanover Township, an assistant county prosecutor; J. Bradley Allison of East Palestine, a county common pleas court domestic relations magistrate; and Chris Amato of Wellsville, who’s in private practice.
“I’d be happy with any of the three,” said county Republican Chairman Dave Johnson. “They’re all outstanding candidates.”
Whoever is appointed would serve for about nine months, then have to run in the November general election to retain the seat. The winner of that election would fill the remainder of Judge Robb’s term, which expires Jan. 1, 2020.
Because of the timing of Judge Robb’s resignation, there won’t be partisan political primaries, said Adam Booth, county board of elections director and county GOP vice chairman.
Had her resignation occurred on or before Jan. 25, state law would have required primaries, he said.
Instead, anyone wanting to run in the November election — judicial candidates in general elections don’t run with party affiliations next to their names on ballots — must file nominating petitions with the elections board by Feb. 12, under state law, Booth said.
That’s why the governor needs to make an appointment right after Judge Robb’s resignation takes effect, Johnson said.
Candidates running need 50 valid signatures on nominating petitions, and can start collecting signatures Monday to get on the ballot, Booth said.
The court’s jurisdiction doesn’t include East Liverpool, and Liverpool and St. Clair townships.
“It’s been a Republican seat,” Johnson said. “The race has a Republican advantage as it excludes the most-Democratic area of the county.”
Democrat Nick Barborak of Lisbon, who served one term in the Ohio House and lost a re-election bid in November to Republican Tim Ginter of Salem, said he’s thinking of running for the seat in the general election. Barborak is a former county treasurer and assistant prosecutor.