Ohio › Mahoning County › Mahoning County Common Pleas Court Judge, General Division (term beginning February 9, 2027)
2 candidates are tracked for Mahoning County Common Pleas Court Judge, General Division (term beginning February 9, 2027) on the November 3, 2026 ballot: Ross T. Smith and Mark P. D'Apolito. Candidate information follows official Mahoning County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.
Open seat: Judge R. Scott Krichbaum cannot seek reelection under Ohio's age limit for judges, per The Vindicator and WYTV. Ross T. Smith, the Republican primary winner, faces Democratic nominee Mark P. D'Apolito. Ohio judicial candidates appear on the November ballot without party labels.
Ross T. Smith has practiced law in Mahoning County for more than 20 years as both a prosecuting attorney and a defense attorney, per his campaign site. He was sworn in as a magistrate under Judge R. Scott Krichbaum in January 2026; Krichbaum's seat is open this year because Ohio's age limit bars him from seeking reelection, per The Vindicator.
2026 priorities (per the campaign site)
- Says his experience on both the prosecution and defense sides gives him a balanced view that supports fairness and impartiality on the bench
- Pledges to keep the courts fair and efficient
Source: candidate campaign site, roster verified 2026-09-10.
Campaign site →
Mark P. D'Apolito was hired in April 2023 as Austintown Township administrator, per WFMJ. He previously spent five years as a Mahoning County assistant prosecutor and three years as a Youngstown assistant law director. He is a first cousin of sitting Common Pleas Court Judge Anthony D'Apolito and a nephew of David D'Apolito, a former 7th District Court of Appeals and county court judge. No campaign website or questionnaire response was found as of September 10, 2026; the official election filing is the only verifiable source for Mark P. D'Apolito.
