Who is running for Judge, Ohio 5th District Court of Appeals in 2026?

Judge, Ohio 5th District Court of Appeals: 2026 Candidates & Ballot

One candidate is tracked for Judge, Ohio 5th District Court of Appeals on the November 3, 2026 ballot: Matthew George. Candidate information follows official Delaware County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.

Ohio judicial candidates appear on the ballot without a party label. Matthew George runs unopposed on Delaware County's list for this six-year appellate term beginning February 9, 2027; he won a three-candidate Republican primary, per the Ashland Source.

Matthew George

Nonpartisan

George currently serves as a judge on the Licking County Municipal Court, a seat he has held since 2020, and previously served as a magistrate in Licking County's Common Pleas and Domestic Relations Courts, for 18 years of total judicial experience, per his campaign site. He is a graduate of Ashland University and Washington and Lee University School of Law, and won the May 5, 2026 Republican nomination for the 5th District Court of Appeals seat over two other contenders, per the Ashland Source.

2026 priorities (per the campaign site)

Apply the law as written and oppose judicial activism
Emphasize ethics, transparency and equal justice in the appellate court's work

Source: candidate campaign site, roster verified 2026-09-10.

Campaign site →