Jennifer Brunner

Democraticincumbent

Justice of the Supreme Court (Full term commencing 1-2-2027) · Summit County, Ohio · November 3, 2026

Also on the ballot: Colleen O'Donnell (Republican)

Jennifer Brunner is the incumbent Ohio Supreme Court justice and the only Democrat in statewide elected office in Ohio. A former Secretary of State, she is running for reelection against Republican Colleen O'Donnell and has a record of dissents on redistricting and a lawsuit against partisan labels on judicial ballots.

What this office decides

The Ohio Supreme Court is the state's highest court: seven justices elected statewide to six-year terms, listed with party labels since 2022. It has the final word on the Ohio Constitution, which puts it at the center of disputes over redistricting, abortion and other constitutional amendments, school funding, and the wording of statewide ballot issues, and it hears death-penalty appeals.

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 search result or article found Trump endorsing, opposing, or commenting on Brunner specifically.

Who they are

Jennifer Brunner is the incumbent justice for this seat, on the Ohio Supreme Court since 2021 after winning election in 2020 (Wikipedia). A Democrat running for reelection against Republican Colleen O'Donnell, she is the only Democrat in Ohio statewide elected office (OCJ). She was previously Ohio Secretary of State (2007-2011), a Franklin County Common Pleas judge (2000-2005), and a Tenth District Court of Appeals judge (2014-2020) (Wikipedia).

Positions

Party politics in courts and agencies: Sued in federal court (Nov. 7, 2023) to overturn a 2021 law requiring party labels on judicial ballots, saying it violates her First, Fifth, and Fourteenth Amendment rights (Bloomberg Law).
Voting rules: As Secretary of State she pursued election security and voter access, redistributing voting machines and founding the Voting Rights Institute (2008 Profile in Courage Award) (Wikipedia).
Personal freedom, Crime & policing, Schools: No public position found; some coverage names abortion litigation generally as a stake in the race (Statehouse News Bureau).

Record

Joined 2022 majority opinions striking down Ohio's House and Senate maps as unconstitutional gerrymanders (CourtNews Ohio). Dissented from a Sept. 16, 2024 ruling on redistricting-ballot language, calling wording that the measure would 'require gerrymandering' 'misleading, deceitful, and a fraud upon the voters' (CourtNews Ohio). Lost the 2022 Chief Justice race to Sharon Kennedy, 44%-56% (Wikipedia).

Money

For the period covering mid-April through early June 2026, Brunner reported about $63,500 in contributions and roughly $116,000 cash on hand, a large lead over O'Donnell (OCJ).

What we couldn't find

No specific ruling or statement on abortion cases, despite coverage flagging abortion litigation as a stake generally.
No explicit Trump endorsement or criticism found.
Full text of her August 2026 op-ed (page blocked automated access); reported here from its headline only.

Sources (10)