Ralph Winkler seeks Probate Court seat in Nov. 3 election

Judge Ralph (Ted) Winkler is running for Hamilton County Common Pleas Court Judge in the Probate Division in the Nov. 3, 2026, Ohio general election. The nonpartisan race also includes Elizabeth A. Tye.

Winkler has served as probate judge since 2015, according to BallotReady. He is certified for the ballot.

The Probate Division handles wills, property transfers and related matters for Hamilton County residents, including those in Montgomery, Blue Ash and Sycamore Township.

Winkler did not respond to the Montgomery-Blue Ash Courier's candidate questionnaire. This profile is based on public records and his official court biography.

Candidate information

Full name: Ralph (Ted) Winkler
Party: Nonpartisan
Office sought: Hamilton County Common Pleas Court Judge, Probate Division (Term Commencing 2/9)
Education: High school diploma, Colerain Senior High School (1979); bachelor's degree in accounting and finance, University of Cincinnati (1983); juris doctor, Northern Kentucky University (1987)
Residence: Lifelong Cincinnati resident, according to the Hamilton County Probate Court website
Family: Married to his wife Teresa for over 40 years; three daughters and seven grandchildren

Experience and public service

Winkler has spent his career in Hamilton County's legal system. He served as a law clerk for Judge Donald Schott from 1983 to 1987 and then worked as both an assistant prosecutor and a probate attorney from 1987 to 1999, according to BallotReady.

Winkler won election to Hamilton County Municipal Court in 1999 and served until 2005. He then served as a Common Pleas Court judge in the General Division from 2004 to 2015, according to the Probate Court website. He has served in the Probate Division since 2015.

Since 2015, Winkler has been involved with the Wills for First Responders program, born out of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. The program has helped over 4,000 first responders and their families receive free wills, living wills and health care powers of attorney, according to the court website. In 2023, he collaborated with Hamilton County Recorder Scott Crowley to bring the Good Deeds Program to Hamilton County, helping residents understand probate issues regarding property transfers.

Winkler received the Golden Gavel Award from the Ohio Common Pleas Judges Association in 2015 and was named Trial Judge of the Year by the Hamilton County Trial Lawyers Association in 2008. The Colerain Chamber of Commerce named him a "Hometown Hero" in 2022.

He is a member of the Ohio Association of Probate Judges, the National College of Probate Judges, the American Judges Association, the Ohio Judicial College, the Cincinnati Bar Association, the Ohio State Bar Association and the Ohio Guardianship Association. He also serves as a volunteer board member for Melanoma Know More.