2 candidates are tracked for Montgomery County Common Pleas Court Judge (Juvenile Division, Bruns seat) on the November 3, 2026 ballot: Nicholas Sylvain and Hope Smalls. Candidate information follows official Montgomery County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.
Nominated in partisan May 2026 primaries but elected without party designation on Ohio's November ballot; race is for the seat of former Juvenile Court Judge Julie Bruns. Nicholas Sylvain, nominated in the Republican primary, replaced Bruns after she left the bench in 2026; Hope Smalls, nominated in the Democratic primary, is a magistrate at the county's Juvenile Court. Per the Dayton Daily News.
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 › Montgomery County › Montgomery County Common Pleas Court Judge (Juvenile Division, Bruns seat)
Nonpartisan
Nicholas Sylvain earned a chemical engineering degree from the University of Dayton and a law degree from William & Mary, per his campaign site. He began his career as an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney in Montgomery County, handling felony, homicide and family violence cases, per his campaign site. He has served on the Montgomery County bench since 2002, currently as one of two Juvenile Court judges, per his campaign site.
Nonpartisan
Hope Smalls served as a Juvenile Court Magistrate in Montgomery County from November 2019 to May 2026, per her campaign site. Her work included presiding over the Family Treatment Court and serving the community through the YWCA, per her campaign site.
Who is running for Montgomery County Common Pleas Court Judge (Juvenile Division, Bruns seat) in 2026?
2 candidates are tracked for Montgomery County Common Pleas Court Judge (Juvenile Division, Bruns seat) on the November 3, 2026 ballot: Nicholas Sylvain and Hope Smalls. Candidate information follows official Montgomery County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.
When is the Montgomery County Common Pleas Court Judge (Juvenile Division, Bruns seat) 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 Montgomery County ballot?
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Candidate roster from official Montgomery County and state election office filings, last verified September 27, 2026. Bios and priorities carry their attribution inline.
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