Marilyn Zayas, a Democrat and judge on the Ohio First District Court of Appeals, is running for Ohio Supreme Court Justice in the Nov. 3 general election. Daniel R. Hawkins, a Republican, is also running.

Asked why she is seeking the seat, Zayas said in our candidate questionnaire, "I believe everyone deserves courts they can trust to follow the Constitution, the law and the facts, not politics." She added, "I have accepted zero corporate contributions from energy, banking or insurance interests because judicial independence matters."

Candidate information

Party: Democrat

Education: Zayas said in our questionnaire, "J.D., University of Cincinnati College of Law, 1997. B.S. in Computer Science, City College of the City University of New York (CUNY), 1987."

Family: Zayas said in our questionnaire, "My parents came to the United States from Puerto Rico. My mother had only a seventh-grade education and worked as a factory seamstress. After leaving a difficult marriage, she raised three children on a factory salary." She added, "I am also a mother of three adult children."

Background: Born in East Harlem, New York City, according to her Wikipedia page. In 2016, she became the first person of Latino heritage elected to a Court of Appeals in Ohio and the first Latina elected to any position in Hamilton County, according to her First District Court of Appeals biography.

Experience and public service

Zayas described her work history in our questionnaire: "I am a Judge on the Ohio First District Court of Appeals, where I have served for nearly a decade and decided more than 2,000 appeals across Ohio. I have also served repeatedly on the Ohio Supreme Court by special assignment, replacing a recused justice."

She also said, "I have nearly 20 years of experience as an attorney, representing individuals, families and businesses in state and federal matters, including criminal, family, immigration, intellectual property, labor and employment, custody, adoption and business cases."

Before practicing law, Zayas worked as an IT manager at Procter & Gamble from 1988 to 1994, according to her Wikipedia page. She said in our questionnaire that she "used my savings to attend law school, then built a legal career focused on serving people and solving problems."

Zayas said in our questionnaire, "In 2017, I created the Educating Tomorrow's Leaders Program to introduce students to the judicial system and help them see themselves as capable of pursuing careers in law and public service." The National Hispanic Bar Association selected her as its 2024 Judge of the Year, according to her court biography.

On the issues

Judicial endorsements: Asked about the Ohio Supreme Court's ruling that judges may make political endorsements, Zayas said, "I disagree with the decision because judicial independence is not only about being impartial; it is also about maintaining public confidence in that impartiality." She added, "I will never endorse a political candidate. I believe judges should leave politics at the courthouse door."

Precedent: Asked when the Ohio Supreme Court should overrule its earlier decisions, Zayas said, "Stability in the law is essential. Precedent should carry substantial weight because people, courts, businesses and government rely on established law when making decisions." She said the court "should overrule its prior decisions only when there is a compelling reason to do so … A court should not change the law simply because the composition of the court has changed or because a different result is preferred."

Party labels on ballots: Zayas said, "I believe that both party endorsements and partisan ballot labels politicize the judiciary and undermine public confidence in independent courts."

Specialty courts: In the same response, she said she supports "the appropriate expansion of Veterans, Mental Health, and Drug Courts to foster safer communities."

What sets her apart: Zayas said in our questionnaire, "A critical distinction is that I have accepted zero campaign contributions from energy, banking, and insurance interests." She cited her appellate experience and said, "I remain a political outsider, endorsed by attorneys across the political spectrum."