Voting in the Cuyahoga County primary election is underway in Cleveland and its surrounding communities in advance of Election Day on March 19. An important part of primary ballots are races for judicial seats on the Common Pleas Court, where elected judges decide outcomes that have the power to change the lives of the people who stand before them.
In preparation for the primary elections, Signal Cleveland and The Marshall Project put together a guide to judges, with snapshots of candidate profiles. With the help of Cleveland Documenters, we gathered information on each of the candidates. We also reached out to voters and residents to find out what they wanted to hear from the candidates. We put the most common questions into a survey. You can click below to see answers from the candidates who responded. Scroll to the bottom to see candidates who are running unopposed in the primary.
Candidate illustrations by John G
Democratic primary: Judge Nancy Margaret Russo and Carl Mazzone
Carl Mazzone, a veteran Cuyahoga County prosecutor, is running against Judge Nancy Margaret Russo, who has been on the bench since 1997. The two are seeking the seat on the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas long held by Judge Daniel Gaul, who was suspended from bench for the remainder of his term.
Judge Nancy Margaret Russo
- Was 8 years old when she decided she wanted to be a judge.
- Started Re-Entry Court in 2007 to work with people returning home from prison.
- Had concerns about a courtwide shift to using more personal bonds but now has found it effective alongside the use of pretrial monitoring.
Carl Mazzone
- Prosecuted major trials, including murder cases, for more than a dozen years.
- Says a judge “cannot be afraid to make tough decisions.”
Democratic primary: Kira Krivosh, Fallon Kilbane McNally and Jennifer McTernan
Three candidates are running for a seat on the court’s General Division, which has 34 judges. The seat was previously held by Judge Michael Russo, who died in October after a long illness. The candidate who prevails in the primary will face Republican Timothy Clary in the General Election. Clary was appointed to fill Russo’s seat by Gov. Michael DeWine.
Kira Krivosh
- Juvenile Court magistrate deciding child support cases.
- Former substitute teacher and current legal educator.
Fallon Kilbane McNally
- Was a nurse before jury duty inspired her to go to law school.
- Would like to preside over a mental health docket.
- Prosecuted high profile Cleveland School of the Arts sexual assault case.
Jennifer McTernan
- Criminal defense attorney certified in representing clients with mental health and developmental disabilities.
- Says many assume “the worst felony someone can get is a murder charge, but in reality, the worst felony someone can get is their first felony.”
Democratic primary: Fallon Marie Radigan, Ray Tarasuck and Mollie Ann Murphy
Fallon Marie Radigan Mollie Ann Murphy and Ray Tarasuck are running for a seat on the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court’s General Division long held by Judge John D. Sutula, who is retiring. The winner of the race will face Republican Tim Hess in the General Election.
Fallon Marie Radigan
- Led the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force for the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s office.
- Says the criminal justice system should be colorblind to outside bias.
Ray Tarasuck
- Member of the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party executive committee.
- Grew up in a working class household in Youngstown.
- Serves on Cleveland’s Landmarks Commission.
Mollie Ann Murphy
- Juvenile Court magistrate hearing abuse and neglect cases.
- Worked as a criminal prosecutor for a decade.
Democratic primary: Joseph P. O’Malley and Judge Alison Nelson Floyd
Joseph P. O’Malley is running against Judge Alison Nelson Floyd for a seat on the Cuyahoga County Juvenile Court.
Judge Alison Nelson Floyd
- Juvenile Court judge since 2000.
- Member of Delta Sigma Theta, a national public-service sorority.
- Praised for her compassion with children; criticized for a slow-moving docket.
Joseph P. O’Malley
- Regained law license after it was suspended following a 2011 federal conviction for lying to the FBI and failing to report a federal crime.
- Brother of Juvenile Court Administrative Judge Thomas F. O’Malley and the late Domestic Relations Judge Kathleen O’Malley.
- Co-owns bar Fat Little Buddies in Olmsted Falls.
Uncontested primary candidates
Cuyahoga County’s March 19th Democratic and Republican primary ballots will include candidates who are running unopposed. Some will have competition in the Nov. 5 General Election. Some will not, and will win their seat without a challenge.
Republican candidates
Judge Timothy Clary
- Was an assistant Cuyahoga County public defender.
- Appointed to the Common Pleas bench by Republican Gov. Mike DeWine.
Judge Joan Synenberg
- Started collaborative that has brought free legal help to more than 1,000 defendants.
- Appointed twice to the bench by Republican governors.
- Freed Joe D’Ambrosio, formerly on Ohio’s Death Row in high-profile case.
Timothy Hess
- Says the court’s probation department should work to get probationers into local trade unions.
- Youngest of five children
Amily Imbrogno
- Civil attorney specializing in government, employment, labor and civil rights.
- A Garfield Heights Municipal Court magistrate.
- Was once a White House intern.
Antonio S. Nicholson
- Criminal defense attorney.
- Has a law practice with his brother
Jason Ralls
- Personal injury attorney.
- Little public information exists about this candidate.
Democratic candidates
Daryl T. Dennie
- Criminal defense attorney and public defender.
- Said his decisions as a judge would be based on the law, applied impartially because: “I know what bias looks like, and I know the damage caused by it.”
Joy Kennedy
- Public defender for over 17 years.
- Trained therapist and social worker who has worked with families and children.
- Says bail reform is necessary to address issues of inequities within the criminal justice system.
John J. Spellacy
- Has served as a city prosecutor, criminal defense attorney and magistrate.
Judge Lauren C. Moore
- Cleveland Municipal Court Judge since 2004.
- Wrote two books: Historical fiction novel “Eyes Like Mine,” and “Make the World Your Oyster, the Ultimate Travel Guide.”
- Worked as a public defender, legal aid attorney, and Cleveland City prosecutor.
Judge John P. O’Donnell
- Found Cleveland Officer Michael Brelo not guilty in shooting deaths of Black motorists Timothy Russell and Malissa Williams.
- Lost three bids for Ohio Supreme Court bench.
- Since 2008 has handled a special docket of commercial cases.
Judge Cassandra Collier-Williams
- Handles a commercial docket of cases including business and contract disputes, liquidation and shareholder disagreements.Russell and Malissa Williams.
- Member of the Ohio Black Judges Association.
- Involved in a high-profile custody battle for her grandchildren after her son was charged with murdering his wife.
Judge Kevin Kelley
- Former Cleveland City Council President.
- Father to five daughters.
Judge Emily Hagan
- Was judicial staff attorney for Common Pleas Judge Michael Donnelly before he was elected to the Ohio Supreme Court.
- Has a college degree in early childhood education.
Judge Ashley Kilbane
- Formerly prosecuted felony cases.
- Oversaw lawsuits involving University Hospitals fertility clinic failure involving the loss of over 4,000 eggs and embryos.
- Has identical twin daughters.
Judge Timothy McCormick
- Ran unopposed in 2012, 2018, and 2024.
- Has managed Duke Farms, a 30-bed community garden in the Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood, with his wife Lori since 2017.
Credits
Clevelanders, community organizations, and Documenters all played a critical role in informing our process. We thank them for their generous time and feedback as we designed and developed this community tool.
Profile editing Rachel Dissell, Phil Trexler
Copy editing Ghazala Irshad, Mary Ellen Huesken
Cleveland Documenters Daniel McLaughlin, Karima McCree-Wilson, Barbara Phipps, Ayanna Rose Banks, Alyssa Holznagel, Ronaldo Rodriguez Jr., Tucker Handley
Illustrations John G
Additional art direction Jovelle Tamayo
Community outreach Louis Fields, Rachel Dissell
Community listening and collaborative design Rachel Dissell, Andrew Rodriguez Calderón, Ana Mendez, Nicole Lewis
Project editing and project management Andrew Rodriguez Calderón, David Eads