Betty Sutton

Democraticincumbent

Judge of the Court of Appeals (9th District) (Full term commencing 2-9-2027) · Summit County, Ohio · November 3, 2026

Also on the ballot: Cynthia Curtin (Republican)

Betty Sutton is the Democratic incumbent judge of Ohio's Ninth District Court of Appeals, serving since February 2021, and is seeking a full term beginning in 2027. A former Ohio House member and U.S. Representative, she argues judicial elections should remain nonpartisan and has been endorsed by labor unions and law-enforcement groups.

What this office decides

Ohio's Ninth District Court of Appeals hears appeals from trial courts in Summit, Medina, Lorain, and Wayne counties, in panels of three judges. It decides most criminal, civil, family, and administrative appeals from those courts, and its rulings stand unless the Ohio Supreme Court takes the case. Judges are elected with party labels to six-year terms.

How this race lines up with you

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Dossier

Researched 2026-09-23 · Claude Code research agent with web search

Donald Trump: nothing found. No Trump endorsement or criticism of this candidate was found in searches covering this race.

Ohio AFL-CIO (for) source
AFSCME (for) source
UAW (for) source
Building trades unions (painters, pipefitters, ironworkers) (for) source

Who they are

Sutton is the incumbent judge of Ohio's Ninth District Court of Appeals, in office since February 9, 2021, and is running for a full term beginning February 9, 2027 (Ballotpedia). Before the bench: nearly 30 years as an attorney, an Ohio House member for District 47 (1993–2000), and U.S. Representative for Ohio's 13th District (2007–2013) (Judicial Votes Count).

Positions

Party politics in courts and agencies: Says party labels "threaten court impartiality" and favors nonpartisan judicial races, per a Cleveland.com interview with opponent Curtin (Cleveland.com via NewsBreak).
Crime & policing, Business & regulation, Voting rules: No public position found.

Record

Campaign materials say she has "decided over 1,000 cases" and "authored hundreds of opinions" since 2021, without specifics (Sutton for Judge). Earlier career: vice chair of the Ohio House Judiciary and Criminal Justice Committee, U.S. House Judiciary Committee member, and administrator of the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation, 2013–2017 (Judicial Votes Count). Endorsed by the Ohio AFL-CIO, AFSCME, UAW, building-trades unions, and law-enforcement organizations (Judicial Votes Count). Akron Bar Association Commission on Judicial Candidates rating: "GOOD" (Akron Bar Association).

Money

No itemized 2026 fundraising total found; a Transparency USA page exists for her but shows no filed data (Transparency USA).

What we couldn't find

No specific rulings or opinions from her time on the bench.
No 2026 campaign finance total.
No positions on crime/policing, business regulation, or voting rules.

Sources (6)