JUSTICE DONNELLY, JUSTICE STEWART, JUDGE FORBES “HEADLINES” AD
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Ad Text: The narrator says, “Ohio’s Supreme Court has been making headlines for the wrong reasons. Your vote can restore integrity and justice with Donnelly Stewart, and Forbes. Ohio needs experienced, common sense judges on the Ohio Supreme Court. It’s important to put safety and freedom first, and balance your court against extreme, one-party politics. Donnelly says: ‘protect your rights.’ Stewart says: ‘protect your freedoms.’ Forbes says: ‘protect your choices.’ For an independent court you can trust, vote for Donnelly, Stewart, and Forbes for Ohio Supreme Court.”
Headlines referenced:
The Ohio Supreme Court Just Greenlit an Egregious “Fraud Upon the Voters”, Slate, September 17, 2024
Ohio Supreme Court rules ‘unborn child’ wording can remain in abortion ballot language, NBC News, September 19, 2023
Stephen Colbert calls Ohio Supreme Court boneless chicken decision ‘hot legal garbage’, The Columbus Dispatch, August 15, 2024
Endorsements referenced: Voters have a clear choice, The Toledo Blade, October 10, 2024, firefighters and teachers, and Planned Parenthood of Ohio. The ad also notes that the candidates are “rated excellent” by Bar Associations
Who's responsible for this ad?
This is a traditional candidate ad paid for by Donnelly for Supreme Court, Stewart for Ohio Supreme Court, and Forbes for Justice committees.
From Jan. 2023 to September 2024, Michael Donnelly’s campaign committee has received over half a million dollars ($752,918.98 including monetary and in-kind donations). In the September 2024 report, his campaign reported having $690,764.10 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.
From Jan. 2023 to September 2024, Melody Stewart’s campaign committee has 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.
From Jan. 2023 to September 2024, Lisa Forbes’ campaign committee has received over half a million dollars ($729,161.55 including monetary and in-kind donations). In the September 2024 report, her campaign reported having $607,498 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
Analysis by Alan Johnson, retired Ohio Statehouse reporter
Headlines – the bad kind – are the focus of a 30-second ad jointly sponsored by three Democrats running for the Ohio Supreme Court: incumbent Justices Michael P. Donnelly and Melody Stewart, plus Judge Lisa Forbes of the Eighth District Court of Appeals.
The ad briefly flashes headlines on the screen, including TV news/comedian Stephen Colbert mocking the court’s decision that boneless chicken can contain bones. There are also news headlines about debatable rulings on the prior abortion amendment and current gerrymandering ballot issue. Those decisions, and others have put the state’s Republican-dominated high court in an embarrassing negative light on the national stage, the Democrats say.
While the boneless chicken ruling was the least consequential – except to the man who sued after being injured swallowing a bone in boneless chicken – the ruling opened the state to hundreds of mocking headlines and was fodder for late-night comics coast to coast.
The brief spot devotes time to the Democrats urging voters to oppose Republicans to protect their “rights, freedoms and choices” against “extreme, one-party politics.”