Democrats scored one historic victory on election day. Their candidate for state Supreme Court became the first African American woman to win election as a justice.
Melody Stewart from Cleveland defeated incumbent Mary DeGenaro from the Youngstown area, who was appointed to the position earlier this year.
Stewart, who has served as a judge on the Eighth District Court of Appeals, knew it would be an uphill battle.
“I knew that our history as a party wasn’t good with getting seats on the Ohio Supreme Court. I knew it would be additionally difficult for being a woman of color.”
She credited her victory to hard work.
Democrat Michael Donnelly also won a spot on the court. He'll replace Terrence O’Donnell, who is stepping down due to age limits.
Currently, all seven Supreme Court seats belong to Republicans.
Copyright 2021 WKSU. To see more, visit . 9(MDA5NTM4MTIyMDE0MTg3NDc2MTVlZjdmNQ001))
