2 candidates are tracked for Summit County Court of Common Pleas Judge (Term Beginning January 6, 2027) on the November 3, 2026 ballot: Kate A. Makra and Mary Margaret Rowlands. Candidate information follows official Summit County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.
Kate A. Makra and Mary Margaret Rowlands are on the November 3 ballot for the summit county court of common pleas judge term beginning January 6, 2027, per the Summit County Board of Elections' official candidate list for the November 3, 2026 general election (dated September 1, 2026, subject to withdrawal). Ohio judges appear on the November ballot 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.
Ohio › Summit County › Summit County Court of Common Pleas Judge (Term Beginning January 6, 2027)
Nonpartisan
Kate A. Makra appears on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Summit County Court of Common Pleas Judge (Term Beginning January 6, 2027), per the county elections office's certified candidate list. No campaign website was found as of September 9, 2026; the official election filing is the only verifiable source for Kate A. Makra.
Nonpartisan
Mary Margaret Rowlands is the sitting Summit County Court of Common Pleas judge, first elected in 2008, per the court's official judge page. She spent 19 years in private legal practice before taking the bench and now leads the court's Re-entry Court program, a specialized docket certified by the Ohio Supreme Court, per the same source. No campaign website was found as of September 27, 2026.
Who is running for Summit County Court of Common Pleas Judge (Term Beginning January 6, 2027) in 2026?
2 candidates are tracked for Summit County Court of Common Pleas Judge (Term Beginning January 6, 2027) on the November 3, 2026 ballot: Kate A. Makra and Mary Margaret Rowlands. Candidate information follows official Summit County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.
When is the Summit County Court of Common Pleas Judge (Term Beginning January 6, 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 Summit 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 Summit 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 Summit County sample ballot and your exact ballot by address.
16 tracked races in Summit County, Ohio. Landed here from another county's search? Look up your own ballot below.