Hatheway seeks re-election to Hamilton County Common Pleas bench

Hamilton County Common Pleas Judge Alison Hatheway is running for re-election on a criminal justice reform platform. She says she wants to overhaul the cash bail system, reshape probation practices and expand mental health court work.

The nonpartisan race appears on the Ohio general election ballot for the General Division seat designated Term Commencing 2/13.

Hatheway has served on the Common Pleas bench since Feb. 13, 2021, according to her campaign website. She said she wants to promote "firm but fair and equal enforcement of the laws" and facilitate what she called desperately needed systemic change in Hamilton County's justice system, according to her BallotReady candidate response.

Candidate information

Office sought: Hamilton County Common Pleas Court Judge, General Division (Term Commencing 2/13)
Election: Ohio General Election, Nov. 3, 2026
Party: Nonpartisan
Education: Bachelor's degree in speech communication, Muskingum College (1998); juris doctor, Northern Kentucky University (2006)
Professional memberships (claimed by candidate): Ohio Judicial Conference, Black Judge's Association of Ohio, Inn of Courts, Black Lawyers Association of Cincinnati, Cincinnati Bar Association, Cincinnati Chapter of the NAACP

Experience and public service

Hatheway said on her campaign website that she served as director of the Juvenile Division of the Hamilton County Public Defender's office before taking the bench. In that role, she said she led a project that established the first participatory defense hub in Hamilton County. Her team was honored by the State Public Defender for its commitment to advocating for children, according to her campaign site.

Before law, her path was unusual. She listed prior work as a news anchor and reporter and as a group fitness instructor.

Shortly after joining the bench in 2021, Hatheway said she presided over a Supreme Court Certified Felony Mental Health Court docket. She said she chaired the court's Probation Committee, which has implemented evidence-based changes to how probationers are supervised in Hamilton County.

On the issues

Criminal justice and public safety: Hatheway said she would work with judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, law enforcement and court administrators to reform the cash bail system. She said she wants to ensure punishments for low-level nonviolent offenders are proportionate to the crime and create programs aimed at rehabilitation, deterrence and reducing recidivism. She said she also wants to strengthen protections for vulnerable populations.

"I want every person who goes through our court system in Hamilton County to be treated justly, fairly and with respect throughout the entire process," Hatheway said in her BallotReady response.