Justice of the Supreme Court (Full term commencing 1-1-2021)
November 3, 2020 · general election · 2 candidates with a page
The candidates
Listed alphabetically by surname. Ohio rotates the order candidates appear in by precinct, so no order on this page is the order on a ballot.
- Police officer, Hamilton Police Department
- Lawyer in private practice as a solo practitioner, from 1991
- Special counsel for Ohio Attorney General Betty D. Montgomery
5 of 11 sections researched · 20 sources
- Civil trial lawyer, 1993-2002 and 2005-2007 (per campaign)
- Graduate of St. Joseph High School
- College, Miami University (Ohio)
5 of 11 sections researched · 11 sources
Sharon L. Kennedy
The numbers behind this figure, as a table
| Section | State |
|---|---|
| profile | researched |
| ballot | researched |
| positions | not researched |
| claims | not researched |
| record | researched |
| money | not researched |
| interests | not researched |
| polling | not researched |
| elections | researched |
| endorsements | not researched |
| sources | researched |
John P. O'Donnell
The numbers behind this figure, as a table
| Section | State |
|---|---|
| profile | researched |
| ballot | researched |
| positions | not researched |
| claims | not researched |
| record | researched |
| money | not researched |
| interests | not researched |
| polling | not researched |
| elections | researched |
| endorsements | not researched |
| sources | researched |
The race in pictures
The numbers behind this figure, as a table
| Status |
|---|
| None found in the records checked |
A note on our coverage
Read before the columns: where one candidate has more entries than another, this says which of the two reasons it is.
Sharon L. Kennedy's record in office has 4 entries and John P. O'Donnell's has 1. The difference reflects the length of each public record and the depth of our research; it is not a judgment.
Jump to a candidate
- Sharon L. Kennedy: Where they stand · What they have said, checked · Record in office · Money
- John P. O'Donnell: Where they stand · What they have said, checked · Record in office · Money
Where they stand
Their own words, by issue, with the date, the venue and the link. A paraphrase is marked as one.
Sharon L. Kennedy
Not yet researched
John P. O'Donnell
Not yet researched
What they have said, checked
Newest first. Each check is shown in the checker's own rating word, with their name, the date and the link.
Sharon L. Kennedy
Not yet researched
John P. O'Donnell
Not yet researched
Record in office
Dated actions. Any evaluation of an action is printed with the name of whoever made it and the link.
The numbers behind this figure, as a table
| Person | Date | Kind | Entry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kennedy (R) | 1999 | office | Judge, Butler County Court of Common Pleas, Domestic Relations Division |
| Kennedy (R) | 2012-12-07 | office | Justice of the Supreme Court of Ohio |
| Kennedy (R) | 2023-01-01 | office | Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Ohio |
| Kennedy (R) | 2013-10-16 | ruling | 2013-10-16 (ruling): Wrote the Supreme Court of Ohio's majority opinion in Pauley v. Circleville, 2013-Ohio-4541, which held that Ohio's recreational-user immuni |
| Kennedy (R) | 2016-05-04 | ruling | 2016-05-04 (ruling): Wrote the Supreme Court of Ohio's majority opinion in Toledo City School District Board of Education v. State Board of Education, 2016-Ohio- |
| Kennedy (R) | 2025-08-20 | ruling | 2025-08-20 (ruling): Wrote the Supreme Court of Ohio's majority opinion in Huntington National Bank v. Schneider, 2025-Ohio-2920, which held that parties to an a |
| Kennedy (R) | 2026-04-23 | ruling | 2026-04-23 (ruling): Wrote the Supreme Court of Ohio's majority opinion in State v. Hill, 2026-Ohio-1427, which held that a prisoner sentenced to death could not |
| O'Donnell (D) | 2002 | office | Judge, Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas, General Division |
| O'Donnell (D) | 2007 | office | Judge, Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas, General Division |
| O'Donnell (D) | 2015-05-23 | ruling | 2015-05-23 (ruling): Presided over the bench trial in State v. Brelo and found the defendant, a Cleveland police officer, not guilty of voluntary manslaughter an |
Sharon L. Kennedy
-
April 23, 2026 · ruling
Wrote the Supreme Court of Ohio's majority opinion in State v. Hill, 2026-Ohio-1427, which held that a prisoner sentenced to death could not use Civil Rule 60(B) to reopen the denial of his postconviction-relief petition, because postconviction proceedings are special statutory proceedings to which the Civil Rules do not apply.
Sources: State v. Hill, 2026-Ohio-1427 · Only Process Set by State Law Can Be Used for Postconviction Challenge to Death Sentence
-
August 20, 2025 · ruling
Wrote the Supreme Court of Ohio's majority opinion in Huntington National Bank v. Schneider, 2025-Ohio-2920, which held that parties to an arm's-length transaction owe no duty to disclose unknown facts that increase the other party's risk, and reversed a ruling for a business owner who had personally guaranteed a $77 million loan.
Sources: Huntington Natl. Bank v. Schneider, 2025-Ohio-2920 · Bank Not Obligated to Inform Business Owner About Risks Related to Guarantee Agreement
-
May 4, 2016 · ruling
Wrote the Supreme Court of Ohio's majority opinion in Toledo City School District Board of Education v. State Board of Education, 2016-Ohio-2806, which held that the Ohio Constitution's Retroactivity Clause protects private citizens and corporations but not political subdivisions, allowing the state to recoup fiscal-2005 school-funding overpayments from the Toledo, Dayton and Cleveland districts.
Sources: Toledo City School Dist. Bd. of Edn. v. State Bd. of Edn., 2016-Ohio-2806 · Local Governments Not Protected by State Constitution's Prohibition of Retroactive Laws
-
October 16, 2013 · ruling
Wrote the Supreme Court of Ohio's majority opinion in Pauley v. Circleville, 2013-Ohio-4541, which held that Ohio's recreational-user immunity statute protected the City of Circleville from liability for a sledding injury in a city park, even where the city had stored a debris-filled soil pile there.
Sources: Pauley v. Circleville, 2013-Ohio-4541 · Hazard in City Park Does Not Affect City's Recreational Use Immunity
John P. O'Donnell
-
May 23, 2015 · ruling
Presided over the bench trial in State v. Brelo and found the defendant, a Cleveland police officer, not guilty of voluntary manslaughter and of felonious assault in the deaths of two people after a November 2012 police chase.
Money
Totals and donors exactly as filed with the FEC or the Ohio Secretary of State, each figure with its filing link.
The numbers behind this figure, as a table
| Status |
|---|
| None found in the records checked |
Sharon L. Kennedy
The numbers behind this figure, as a table
| Status |
|---|
| None found in the records checked |
Totals as filed
Not yet researched
Top donors, as filed
Not yet researched
Outside spending
Not yet researched
In-state share
Not yet researched
John P. O'Donnell
The numbers behind this figure, as a table
| Status |
|---|
| None found in the records checked |
Totals as filed
Not yet researched
Top donors, as filed
Not yet researched
Outside spending
Not yet researched
In-state share
Not yet researched
The result
Sharon L. Kennedy · certified 2020 · turnout 73.99
| Candidate | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Sharon L. Kennedy | 2,735,041 | 55.1% |
| John P. O'Donnell | 2,231,724 | 44.9% |
Sources: 2020 Ohio elections · Ohio Supreme Court elections · 2020 United States presidential election in Ohio
Sources
Data from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0: 2020 Ohio elections · Ohio Supreme Court elections · 2020 United States presidential election in Ohio · Sharon L. Kennedy · 2022 Ohio elections · 2022 Ohio gubernatorial election · 2012 United States presidential election in Ohio · 2014 Ohio elections · 2014 Ohio gubernatorial election · Killing of Timothy Russell and Malissa Williams · 2016 Ohio elections
- 2020 Ohio elections · Wikipedia · accessed 2026-09-25
- Ohio Supreme Court elections · Wikipedia · accessed 2026-09-25
- Judicial Elections Bring Turnover at All Levels · Court News Ohio (Supreme Court of Ohio) · 2020-11-04 · accessed 2026-09-25
- 2020 United States presidential election in Ohio · Wikipedia · accessed 2026-09-25
- Chief Justice Sharon L. Kennedy · Supreme Court of Ohio · accessed 2026-09-24
- Sharon L. Kennedy · Wikipedia · accessed 2026-09-24
- State v. Hill, 2026-Ohio-1427 · Supreme Court of Ohio · 2026-04-23 · accessed 2026-09-24
- Only Process Set by State Law Can Be Used for Postconviction Challenge to Death Sentence · Court News Ohio (Supreme Court of Ohio) · 2026-04-23 · accessed 2026-09-24
- Huntington Natl. Bank v. Schneider, 2025-Ohio-2920 · Supreme Court of Ohio · 2025-08-20 · accessed 2026-09-24
- Bank Not Obligated to Inform Business Owner About Risks Related to Guarantee Agreement · Court News Ohio (Supreme Court of Ohio) · 2025-08-20 · accessed 2026-09-24
- Toledo City School Dist. Bd. of Edn. v. State Bd. of Edn., 2016-Ohio-2806 · Supreme Court of Ohio · 2016-05-04 · accessed 2026-09-24
- Local Governments Not Protected by State Constitution's Prohibition of Retroactive Laws · Court News Ohio (Supreme Court of Ohio) · 2016-05-04 · accessed 2026-09-24
- Pauley v. Circleville, 2013-Ohio-4541 · Supreme Court of Ohio · 2013-10-16 · accessed 2026-09-24
- Hazard in City Park Does Not Affect City's Recreational Use Immunity · Court News Ohio (Supreme Court of Ohio) · 2013-10-16 · accessed 2026-09-24
- 2022 Ohio elections · Wikipedia · accessed 2026-09-24
- 2022 Ohio gubernatorial election · Wikipedia · accessed 2026-09-24
- LaRose Certifies Results for the November 2022 General Election · Ohio Secretary of State · 2022-12-09
- 2012 United States presidential election in Ohio · Wikipedia · accessed 2026-09-25
- 2014 Ohio elections · Wikipedia · accessed 2026-09-25
- 2014 Ohio gubernatorial election · Wikipedia · accessed 2026-09-25
- Judge John P. O'Donnell · Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas · accessed 2026-09-25
- John O'Donnell (2020 candidate questionnaire) · Judicial Votes Count (University of Akron) · 2020-09-24 · accessed 2026-09-25
- Killing of Timothy Russell and Malissa Williams · Wikipedia · accessed 2026-09-25
- Judicial Races Decided · Court News Ohio (Supreme Court of Ohio) · 2014-11-05 · accessed 2026-09-25
- William O'Neill Honored in Swearing-In Ceremony, Takes Office January 2 · Court News Ohio (Supreme Court of Ohio) · 2012-12-28 · accessed 2026-09-25
- 2016 Ohio elections · Wikipedia · accessed 2026-09-25
- Voters Cast Ballots for Two New Justices in General Election · Court News Ohio (Supreme Court of Ohio) · 2016-11-09 · accessed 2026-09-25
Quick answers
When was the 2020 Justice of the Supreme Court (Full term commencing 1-1-2021) election in Ohio?
The election for Justice of the Supreme Court (Full term commencing 1-1-2021) was held on November 3, 2020.
Who ran for Justice of the Supreme Court (Full term commencing 1-1-2021) in 2020?
On the ballot for Justice of the Supreme Court (Full term commencing 1-1-2021), in surname order: Sharon L. Kennedy (Republican), John P. O'Donnell (Democratic).
Who won the 2020 Justice of the Supreme Court (Full term commencing 1-1-2021) election?
Sharon L. Kennedy won the election for Justice of the Supreme Court (Full term commencing 1-1-2021). Results as certified: Sharon L. Kennedy 55.1%, John P. O'Donnell 44.9%.
Cite and data
Cite this page as:
Cracked Buckeye, "Justice of the Supreme Court (Full term commencing 1-1-2021), 2020", https://crackedbuckeye.com/election/2020/supreme-court-jan-1-2021/, built 2026-11-02, accessed [date].
How to cite · Report a correction · Built 2026-11-02