Description of race / referendum:
Vote for no more than one; term commences Jan. 1, 2026.

Cynthia Curtin

Republican

Capaign email: curtin4judge@gmail.com

Previous public office: Chairman and vice chairman, Hudson Planning
Commission

Training / experience: Have been a lawyer for over 35 years representing individuals, small businesses, national retailers and national insurers. Experienced trial lawyer defending motor vehicle liability, premises liability, product liability and property damage cases. Practiced in Municipal, Common Pleas, Appellate and Federal Courts throughout Ohio. Experience also includes mediation, arbitration, settlement negotiation, workers’ comp, SIU, EUO, insurance coverage analysis, contract analysis, and estate planning. Currently an attorney with Perez Morris in Cleveland. Prior to 2023, owned and managed a certified woman owned law firm in Akron.

Education: J.D., Cleveland Marshall College of Law, Cleveland; B.S. Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana; Hudson High School

What judicial legal experience qualifies you to be a judge?

I am an experienced trial lawyer with courtroom experience who has been directly involved in legal proceedings. I understand the workings of the court, the roles of the judge and the jury. I have firsthand experience in jury trials, mediation, arbitration and settlement negotiation, which are all necessary traits for a judge. My legal experience spanned a variety of legal subjects, broadening my knowledge of the law. Having represented individuals, small businesses and large corporations, I can easily communicate with people from varying backgrounds. Plus, I have practical experience having owned and managed a small business. Simply put, I have a lifetime of experience which qualifies me to be a judge.

Why are you running for this particular court seat?

The Court needs an experienced trial lawyer, and I fit that need. I have a lifetime of experience to bring to the bench, which makes me the strongest candidate. My children are married, and I am now widowed, so I have time to run for the seat and serve the community. The time is right personally and professionally.

John Chapman (withdrawn as a candidate, but will still appear on the ballot)

Republican

Candidate email: chapmalaw@gmail.com

For more on this year’s May primary election, visit our Election Signals 2025 page.

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Editor-in-Chief (she/her)
Zake has deep roots in Northeast Ohio journalism. She was the managing editor for multimedia and special projects at the Akron Beacon Journal, where she began work as a staff photographer in 1986. Over a 20-year career, Zake worked in a variety of roles across departments that all help inform her current role as Signal Akron's editor in chief. Most recently, she was a journalism professor and student media adviser at Kent State University, where she worked with the next generation of journalists to understand public policy, environmental reporting, data and solutions reporting. Among her accomplishments was the launch of the Kent State NewsLab, an experiential and collaborative news commons that connects student reporters with outside professional partners.