Melody J. Stewart

Ohio Supreme Court

About Justice Stewart

Learn more about the campaign

In 2018, Justice Stewart became Ohio’s first African American woman elected to the Supreme Court. She is running for re-election to the seat that voters across the state entrusted to her. During her nearly 18 years as a jurist, Justice Stewart has been an exceptional member of the judiciary and a committed public servant. She believes that the first and the only reason to run for public office is to serve the public, not partisan political agendas.

On the Supreme Court, Justice Stewart has stood firm for our democracy. When a handful of powerful politicians drew legislative districts that unconstitutionally favor one political party over another, she authored the first opinion that struck down the map of those districts. She will stand strong against unlawful partisan schemes that threaten our democracy and our freedoms and that undermine the will of the people.

Melody Stewart is the most experienced appellate jurist on the Ohio Supreme Court. She served on the Ohio Court of Appeals for 12 years before being elected to the Supreme Court. She is highly rated by bar associations and has been endorsed by national, state, regional, and local organizations including labor, educational, public safety, and community groups, and civic leaders.

Rating Justice Stewart

Why the Supreme Court matters to educators:

The Ohio Supreme Court (OSC) decides property tax valuation and school funding, labor and employment disputes, safety protocols and procedures, immunity regarding personal injury claims, worker compensation issues, juvenile delinquency issues, etc.
Education is becoming increasingly litigious as politicians make education more political. We need justices that support workers’ rights and educators.
As a union of educators, we need a Supreme Court that upholds the rule of law, reasonably interprets ambiguous statutes, respects the will of the people, and doesn’t entertain radical and extreme legal theories.
With the defeat of Issue 1 last August, the passage of the Reproductive Rights Act last November, and redistricting reform on the ballot this Nov. 5th, we need a Supreme Court that will respect the will of the people and not become embroiled in efforts to undermine the checks and balances we have in Ohio’s constitution.
Ohio law is very clear on the instances in which a school district can appeal an arbitration decision to a civil court. We need justices who uphold these statutes to protect members’ jobs, to arbitrate cases effectively, and not entangle the union in needless, redundant, and expensive litigation when school districts don’t like arbitration outcomes.
Rank-and-file OEA members screened candidates on their stances regarding collective bargaining, tenure, personnel files and public records requests, circumstances in which
arbitration can be overturned, and the court’s role in legislative redistricting,

Take Action

Tap the link for more

Election Information & Protection

Tap the link to call

Election protection hotline: 844-644-8683 or 844-OHI-VOTE

Registration Deadline:

Monday, October 7, 2024 – Deadline to register to vote and update registrations in advance of the general election. Boards of Election will be open until 9:00 PM for individuals to drop off registrations or register online at the link below before the deadline:

Election Information