2 candidates are tracked for Judge of the Court of Common Pleas, Domestic Relations on the November 3, 2026 ballot: Robert D. Essex and Richard P. Wright. Candidate information follows official Licking County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.
Incumbent Richard P. Wright faces Robert D. Essex, per the Board of Elections' certified candidate list. Ohio judicial candidates print without a party label.
Trial court judge. A trial judge presides over criminal and civil cases at the first level: bail and pleas, motions, trials, sentencing and civil judgments. Judges are bound by state law and appellate precedent and are barred by judicial conduct rules from campaigning on how they would rule. Most states elect trial judges on a nonpartisan ballot; the term and the courts a judge may sit on vary by state.
This race. Nonpartisan: candidates appear without party labels. The sitting officeholder, Richard P. Wright, is on the ballot.
Ohio › Licking County › Judge of the Court of Common Pleas, Domestic Relations
Nonpartisan
Robert D. Essex appears on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Judge of the Court of Common Pleas, Domestic Relations, per the county elections office's certified candidate list. No campaign website was found as of September 10, 2026; the official election filing is the only verifiable source for Robert D. Essex.
Nonpartisan Incumbent
Wright is the sitting judge of the Licking County Domestic Relations Court. He has been an attorney since 1987, holds a bachelor's degree in agricultural economics from Ohio State University and a J.D. from Capital University Law School, and previously served as a Bowling Green Township trustee and a volunteer firefighter for 22 years, per Licking County government website. No campaign website was found as of September 10, 2026; the official election filing is the only verifiable source for Richard P. Wright.
Who is running for Judge of the Court of Common Pleas, Domestic Relations in 2026?
2 candidates are tracked for Judge of the Court of Common Pleas, Domestic Relations on the November 3, 2026 ballot: Robert D. Essex and Richard P. Wright. Candidate information follows official Licking County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.
When is the Judge of the Court of Common Pleas, Domestic Relations election in Ohio?
Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Registration deadlines, early voting dates and mail ballot rules for Ohio are on the Ohio election hub at theballotbrief.com.
How do I see my exact Licking County ballot?
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Candidate roster from official Licking County and state election office filings, last verified September 25, 2026. Bios and priorities carry their attribution inline.
Cross-check with the official Ohio election office, or see the full Licking County sample ballot and your exact ballot by address.
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