Dec. 14, 2010
Two of Three Close Judicial Races Officially Decided
Results from the Nov. 2 general election in two of three close judicial races have been certified by local boards of elections. As a result, one incumbent judge lost in Richland County while a sitting judge in Lake County will not move up to the court of appeals.
In Richland County, attorney Heather Cockley defeated Domestic Relations Judge Robert Konstam by 65 votes (18,502 votes for Cockley to 18,437 votes for Konstam). For the 11th District Court of Appeals, attorney Thomas Wright defeated Lake County Common Pleas Court Judge Eugene Lucci by 996 votes (106,871 votes for Wright to 105,875 votes for Lucci).
The Richland County and Lake County boards of election declared Cockley and Wright the winners after certifying the results following mandated recounts. Lake County certified the results in the appeals court race as the most populous county in the five-county district.
The one race still undecided – between Tracie Hunter and John Williams for a Hamilton County Juvenile Court seat to replace retiring Judge Thomas R. Lipps – is in dispute in federal district court over 849 provisional ballots. The 23-vote margin shows Williams in the lead (114,989 votes for Williams to 114,966 votes for Hunter).
Contact: Chris Davey or Bret Crow at 614.387.9250.