If Zayas had her way, judicial candidates would run without a party designation

Four years ago, Marilyn Zayas, an appellate court judge from Cincinnati, took on more than an opponent with an electable name in a race for a seat on the Ohio Supreme Court: Pat DeWine, son of Gov. Mike DeWine. She also was on the ballot as a Democrat in the first Supreme Court election that identified candidates by political party.The results were predictable: Zayas, along with two sitting Democratic Supreme Court justices, was trounced in the general election, as was every other Democratic statewide candidate in what had become deep red Ohio.This year she is back on the ballot, this time hoping to unseat Republican Justice Daniel R. Hawkins of Columbus, who was elected in 2024 to complete a term in an open seat, and is now running for a full six-year term on the court.As we did four years ago, we strongly recommend that voters select Zayas, 61, for this position. A well-respected judge on the 1st Ohio District Court of Appeals for 10 years, she articulates a thoughtful, passionate, deep regard for nonpartisan fairness in applying the rule of law, and an analytical mind that was honed by the six years she spent as an engineer after receiving her undergraduate degree in computer science.“My engineering brain is all about process,” she said in a 2022 interview. “The more complicated the better.”So what does she think will be different this time around? Zayas said she believes there are more people today who are troubled over the imbalance of state government. They are “seeing what happens when you have such an incredible imbalance in government when all the authority is held by one political party and you have that sort of long-term stronghold,” she told our editorial board. It raises questions, she said, regarding “who’s being served?”If Zayas had her way, she said judicial candidates would not only run without a party designation but would also not have political party endorsements. “Even (receiving) an endorsement undermines the integrity and the confidence of the court,” she said. Emphasizing the necessity of different points of view on the court, she noted with pride her reputation for fairness by pointing out that over a 40-day period last year, she was appointed by Republican Chief Justice Sharon Kennedy to hear three cases on the court, in place of a recused justice.“For me, one of the easiest parts of my job is leaving my (personal) opinion at the door,” she said, “because it’s so clear to me that in order for there to be true justice, the court (must be) the equalizer. Everyone gets the same.”Asked to draw the difference between her and her opponent, she criticized his vote in a decision that struck down a 70-year-old ethics rule against judges endorsing political candidates, saying “it takes us further into the politician rabbit hole.”“Win or lose, I am not participating in endorsing anyone,” she said.Another difference between the two, she said, is that in the 20 months that Hawkins has been on the court, he has only once written an opinion separate from the majority. Over the same time period on her appellate court, she has written at least seven differing opinions, indicating a thoughtful refusal to be in lockstep with the majority.What Hawkins thinks about all that is, unfortunately, not known, because he failed to participate in the interview with our editorial board, or to provide any position details.Marilyn Zayas has a compelling background, having been raised by Puerto Rican migrant parents in a tough part of New York City she said was nicknamed “Drug City USA.” She pursued her computer science degree at City University of New York, she said, because she was good at math and science, needed to get an undergraduate degree and couldn’t afford law school until she had a few years of work behind her.She said she had been fascinated with the law from an early age, when as a teenager she served as an interpreter for her Puerto Rico-born mother at an appearance in family court. That experience gave her the drive to become a lawyer but, she said, “I thought judges, you know, were only people that came from elite families and that sort of thing.”Her tenure on the appeals court has proved that wrong, and Ohio voters should take her the rest of the way -- rewarding her experience, determination and energy by electing Marilyn Zayas to a well-deserved seat on the Ohio Supreme Court. Early voting begins Oct. 6.Watch the entire Cleveland Crossfire podcast of the Sept. 21 endorsement interview at this link: Watch our interview with Marilyn Zayas, candidate for Ohio Supreme CourtAbout our editorials: Editorials, including endorsement editorials, express the view of the editorial board of cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer -- the senior leadership and editorial-writing staff. As is traditional, editorials are unsigned and intended to be seen as the voice of the news organization.Have something to say about this topic?* Send a letter to the editor, which will be considered for print publication.MORE BY EDITORIAL BOARD CLEVELAND.COM AND THE PLAIN DEALER* Email general questions about our editorial board or comments or corrections on this editorial to Elizabeth Sullivan, director of opinion, at esullivan@cleveland.comOther resources for voters:League of Women Voters vote411.org voters’ guide.