Katarina Cook
incumbentJudge of the Court of Common Pleas (Domestic Relations Division) (Full term commencing 1-4-2027) · Summit County, Ohio · November 3, 2026
Also on the ballot: Lisa Dean
Katarina Cook, a Republican, is the incumbent Administrative Judge of the Summit County Domestic Relations Court, seeking another term after first being elected in 2016. She was rated "Excellent" by the Akron Bar Association and points to the treatment-focused Family Recovery Court Program she launched in 2021.
What this office decides
The Domestic Relations Division judge handles divorce, dissolution, and legal separation, along with child custody, child support, spousal support, and domestic-violence protection orders between spouses. Judges serve six-year terms and appear on the general-election ballot without party labels, though they are nominated in party primaries.
How this race lines up with you
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Dossier
Researched 2026-09-23 · Claude Code research agent with web searchDonald Trump: nothing found. No search result mentioned Trump endorsing, criticizing, or commenting on this candidate; this is a nonpartisan-ballot local judicial race with no national coverage found.
Who they are
Republican; currently the Administrative Judge of the Summit County Domestic Relations Court, elected to the court in 2016 and sworn in January 5, 2017, making her the incumbent in this race against Democrat Lisa Dean (campaign bio; Akron Legal News). Earlier she was an Akron Municipal Court judge (2009-2016), a traffic magistrate (2005-2009), and a Stark County prosecutor handling child sex-offense cases (1993) (campaign bio). She holds a 1990 J.D. from the University of Akron School of Law (campaign bio). The Akron Bar Association rated her "Excellent" (Akron Bar Association).
Positions
- Crime & policing: As administrative judge she launched the Family Recovery Court Program, a voluntary, treatment-based program for parents facing chemical dependency and mental-health issues, which held its first graduation in September 2021 (campaign bio).
- Party politics in courts and agencies: No public position found.
Record
Became Domestic Relations Court administrative judge in January 2021; launched the Family Recovery Court Program (first graduation September 2021) (campaign bio). As an Akron Municipal Court judge (2009-2016) she oversaw Drug Court and OVI Court (Akron Legal News).
Money
No campaign finance filings or fundraising totals were found in the sources checked.
Recent news
- 2026 (May primary): Ran unopposed in the Republican primary (Signal Akron).
- 2026 (undated): Akron Bar Association rated her "Excellent" for the November race (Akron Bar Association).
What we couldn't find
- No campaign finance figures or donor information.
- No news coverage from the last year specifically on her re-election bid beyond the primary and bar rating.