Who is running for Judge, Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas, General Division (Full term commencing 1-2-2027) in 2026?

Judge, Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas, Domestic Relations Division

Betsy Sundermann is a judge of the Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas, Domestic Relations Division, elected in November 2022 for a term that began January 16, 2023 and runs through January 15, 2029²³. She is on the November 3, 2026 ballot for the General Division term commencing January 2, 2027¹. Her campaign website could not be reached on 2026-09-30, so her pre-bench career is not described here. 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, Domestic Relations Division, since January 16, 2023²³
• Elected to the Domestic Relations Division in November 2022; term January 16, 2023 through January 15, 2029². Nominated in the Republican primary for the 2026 General Division race¹⁴.
• 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 Betsy Sundermann, 70 respondents reported contact. Of those, the share rating the candidate Excellent: administrative diligence 24%, communication skills 29%, community engagement 21%, integrity/impartiality/objectivity 31%, legal experience 29%, professionalism/temperament 30%. The share rating Below Average, in the same order: 40%, 30%, 24%, 36%, 39%, 41%⁵⁶.

Judge, Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas, General Division

Christian A. Jenkins has been a Hamilton County Common Pleas judge since January 2, 2021, after winning election in November 2020²⁴. He spent more than 25 years in private practice, beginning in labor and employment litigation at a Milwaukee firm and, after moving to Cincinnati in 1998, focusing on complex litigation, class actions and representation of public sector unions³. 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 January 2, 2021; current term ends January 1, 2027²³
• Private practice for more than 25 years: labor, employment and litigation at a major Milwaukee firm, then in Cincinnati from 1998 handling complex litigation, national class actions and public sector union representation³
• Undergraduate degree, Penn State University; attended Georgetown University Law Center and received his law degree with high honors from the University of Wisconsin Law School³
• Elected in November 2020, defeating incumbent Judge Patrick T. Dinkelacker, for a six-year term commencing January 2, 2021⁴². Nominated in the Democratic primary for re-election in 2026¹⁵.
• 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 Christian A. Jenkins, 103 respondents reported contact. Of those, the share rating the candidate Excellent: administrative diligence 47%, communication skills 51%, community engagement 35%, integrity/impartiality/objectivity 51%, legal experience 65%, professionalism/temperament 53%. The share rating Below Average, in the same order: 7%, 6%, 5%, 9%, 4%, 13%⁶⁷.