Why Independent?

When people ask me why I’m running as an Independent, my answer is simple:

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I don’t want to be indebted in any way to either the Republicans or the Democrats. Being a judge is more about what is black and white than who is red or blue.

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Adams County voters deserve a judge whose only allegiance is to the Ohio Revised Code, the Constitution, and the facts of each case—not to a political party that helped fund their campaign.

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Here’s what that means in practice:

• I will not accept money from the Republican Party or the Democratic Party.

• I will not hold a political party office while I am a candidate.

• I will not make speeches on behalf of a political party or another candidate for public office.

• I will not publicly endorse or oppose any other candidate for public office.

• I will not raise funds or make contributions to a political party.

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These aren’t just my promises. These are requirements of the Ohio Code of Judicial Conduct, Rule 4.2. I follow them because they are the law, and because they are right.

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A note on how Adams County’s court is structured:

Adams County IS one of the few counties left where the Common Pleas Judge handles criminal, civil, domestic, probate, and juvenile all together. The Ohio Legislature created this new judicial position with the intent that for the first two years of the term, I would handle half of Judge Spencer’s caseload, and after those first two years, I would become a dedicated Juvenile and Probate Judge. That position would remain Juvenile and Probate Judge from then on.

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That means I need to be ready for everything in the first two years, and then specialize in the cases that affect Adams County’s children and families most directly. My background as a teacher, foster parent, Guardian ad Litem, mediator, and EYES program director makes me uniquely qualified for both phases of this role.

What I can promise you:

I can promise that I will show up prepared. I can promise that I will treat everyone in my courtroom with dignity—whether they are a prosecutor, a defendant, a parent, or a child. I can promise that I will follow the law even when it is unpopular.

What I cannot promise is how I would rule on a case that hasn’t been filed yet. That would be illegal under Rule 4.1. But that’s not me being evasive. That’s me obeying the same rules that bind every judge in Ohio.

If you want a judge who will be a rubber stamp for a political party, I am not your candidate. If you want a judge who will read the law, listen to the facts, and rule with integrity—I am.