4 candidates are tracked for Mahoning County Common Pleas Court Judge, General Division (term beginning July 1, 2027) on the November 3, 2026 ballot: Ralph Rivera, J. Michael Thompson, Robert Andrews and Jeff Limbian. Candidate information follows official Mahoning County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.
Open seat: Judge John M. Durkin is not seeking reelection. Republican primary winner Ralph Rivera faces Democratic nominee J. Michael Thompson and independents Robert Andrews and Jeff Limbian. Ohio judicial candidates appear on the November ballot without party labels.
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.
Ohio › Mahoning County › Mahoning County Common Pleas Court Judge, General Division (term beginning July 1, 2027)
Nonpartisan
Per the campaign site.
Ralph Rivera has served as a Mahoning County assistant prosecutor since November 2007, working in the Criminal and Appellate divisions and serving as chief of the Criminal Division, per his campaign site. He is running for the seat held by Judge John M. Durkin, who is not seeking reelection, per WYTV.
Nonpartisan
J. Michael Thompson is an attorney and president of the Poland Village Council, per WKBN. No campaign website was found as of September 10, 2026; the official election filing is the only verifiable source for J. Michael Thompson.
Nonpartisan
Robert Andrews joined the Mahoning County Prosecutor's Office in 1999 and has handled more than 100 felony trials in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court, including 50 homicide cases, per the Tribune Chronicle. He is a registered Democrat running as an independent candidate for this seat. No campaign website was found as of September 10, 2026; the official election filing is the only verifiable source for Robert Andrews.
Nonpartisan
Jeff Limbian is running for the Common Pleas Court seat held by Judge John M. Durkin, who is not seeking reelection, per the Tribune Chronicle. He has previously run for office five times, including twice for Common Pleas Court judge, twice for Youngstown Municipal Court judge and once, in 2023, for Youngstown clerk of courts. No campaign website was found as of September 10, 2026; the official election filing is the only verifiable source for Jeff Limbian.
Who is running for Mahoning County Common Pleas Court Judge, General Division (term beginning July 1, 2027) in 2026?
4 candidates are tracked for Mahoning County Common Pleas Court Judge, General Division (term beginning July 1, 2027) on the November 3, 2026 ballot: Ralph Rivera, J. Michael Thompson, Robert Andrews and Jeff Limbian. Candidate information follows official Mahoning County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.
When is the Mahoning County Common Pleas Court Judge, General Division (term beginning July 1, 2027) 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 Mahoning County ballot?
Enter your ZIP code in the lookup at theballotbrief.com for the statewide and congressional races, or a full street address to add the county, city and district contests for that location.
Candidate roster from official Mahoning County and state election office filings, last verified September 27, 2026. Bios and priorities carry their attribution inline.
Cross-check with the official Ohio election office, or see the full Mahoning County sample ballot and your exact ballot by address.
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