Presiding and Administrative Judge, Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas

Alison Hatheway has been a Hamilton County Common Pleas judge since February 13, 2021, after winning election in November 2020, and is the court's Presiding and Administrative Judge²⁵⁶. She spent about 14 years in the Hamilton County Public Defender's office, ending as director of its Juvenile Division, and earlier worked as a radio news anchor and reporter³⁴. She is unopposed on the November 3, 2026 ballot¹. Ohio prints no party next to judicial candidates on the general election ballot, so this race is nonpartisan on the ballot.

• Judge, Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas, General Division, since February 13, 2021; Presiding and Administrative Judge; current term ends February 12, 2027²⁵³
• Presides over a Supreme Court of Ohio certified Felony Mental Health Court docket and chairs the court's Probation Committee³
• Hamilton County Public Defender's office for about 14 years (her 2020 candidate profile said nearly 13 years), in the Juvenile, Municipal and Felony divisions; Director of the Juvenile Division before taking the bench³⁴
• News anchor and reporter before her legal career³
• JD, Salmon P. Chase College of Law, Northern Kentucky University; BA in Speech Communication, Muskingum University³⁴
• Elected in November 2020, defeating incumbent Judge Charles J. Kubicki Jr., for a term commencing February 13, 2021⁶². Nominated in the Democratic primary and unopposed for re-election in 2026¹⁷.
• Bar poll: Cincinnati Bar Association 2026 Hamilton County Judicial Candidate Poll. The CBA describes it as a confidential, nonpartisan survey sent to its active attorney members (the results sheet says 2,500 members of the Cincinnati legal community); 170 members responded, rating only candidates they had contact with in the past four years, on six categories, with a stated margin of error of plus or minus 4 percent. It is a non-binding member survey of attorney opinion, not an endorsement or a rating by the bar association. For Alison Hatheway, 72 respondents reported contact. Of those, the share rating the candidate Excellent: administrative diligence 42%, communication skills 38%, community engagement 29%, integrity/impartiality/objectivity 38%, legal experience 32%, professionalism/temperament 44%. The share rating Below Average, in the same order: 18%, 19%, 10%, 24%, 21%, 15%⁸⁹.