MELODY STEWART “BONELESS NO LONGER MEANS WITHOUT BONES” AD
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Ad Text: [Person 1]: “What are you doing playing with your food? [Person 2]: I am not playing with my food. I’m looking for bones. [Person 1]: Didn’t you order boneless chicken wings? [Person 2]: Yeah, I ordered boneless chicken wings but hey, I’m not taking any chances. You know, there was this recent Ohio Supreme Court decision written by Joe Deters, ‘No reasonable person should expect when they order boneless chicken wings that it is actually without bones.’ [Person 1]: That doesn’t make any sense. [Person 2]: No, it doesn’t make any sense, does it? I’m gonna use my common sense and reelect Melody Stewart.”
The accompanying Instagram post reads: “Be careful out there. Thanks to my opponent, in Ohio, the word “boneless” no longer means “without bones.”
Who's responsible for this ad?
This is a traditional candidate ad paid for by the Stewart for Ohio Supreme Court committee. From Jan. 2023 to September 2024, Melody Stewart’s campaign committee received over half a million dollars ($643,348.73 including monetary and in-kind donations). In the September 2024 report, her campaign reported having $634,450.90 available to spend in the race. To see contributions to candidates for the Ohio Supreme Court, visit the Ohio Secretary of State’s website. Examine top donations here.
Discussion and Analysis
Context provided by Jessica Dickinson, Outreach and Engagement Manager, Ohio Fair Courts Alliance
This race pits two incumbents and colleagues against one another – Justice Melody Stewart (D) and Justice Joe Deters (R). In January 2023, Deters was appointed by Governor Mike DeWine to the state’s highest court. This is a contentious race as Deters chose to challenge Stewart rather than running to retain his own seat.
This ad highlights a recent Ohio Supreme Court ruling that hinges on what words mean. In July 2024, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled against a man who was injured as the result of ingesting bones in chicken wings at a restaurant that were described as “boneless.” Justice Joe Deters wrote the majority decision that determined that “boneless wings” are a cooking style and not a guarantee that there would not be bones in the food. Columnist Marilou Johanek described the decision as “head-scratching” and it became fodder for late-night comics. This ad makes it clear that the Ohio Supreme Court can make decisions that impact Ohioans daily lives and that a pro-business court may make decisions that harm everyday consumers. This case is particularly powerful because we all eat and expect food safety in restaurants.