Wood County, Ohio

Judge of the Wood County Probate Court

2 candidates are tracked for Judge of the Wood County Probate Court on the November 3, 2026 ballot: Megan E. Newlove and Doug Ruck. Candidate information follows official Wood County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.

About this race

Term commencing 02/09/2027; judges print without party labels in November. Ruck's own campaign site identifies him as a Republican, but the office is nonpartisan on the ballot.

What this office does

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 › Wood County › Judge of the Wood County Probate Court

Megan E. Newlove

Nonpartisan

Top priorities

Emphasizes hands-on courtroom experience across probate and juvenile matters, from guardianships to child protection cases
Running a voter-education series explaining what the probate and juvenile courts do

Per the campaign site.

Biography

Newlove is a Bowling Green attorney with more than 25 years of experience in estate planning, probate administration, adoptions, and guardianships, per her campaign site. She describes herself as a seventh-generation Wood County resident.

Campaign site (opens in a new tab)

Doug Ruck

Nonpartisan

Top priorities

Approach probate and juvenile cases with integrity, respect for the law, and compassion

Per the campaign site.

Biography

Ruck, known formally as J. Douglas Ruck, has nearly 28 years of law practice in the Pemberville, Perrysburg, and Bowling Green area, including probate and estate planning, trust and estate litigation, real estate, business, and agricultural law, per his campaign site. He has served as village solicitor for Luckey and, for the last 16 years, for Gibsonburg.

Campaign site (opens in a new tab)

Next on your ballotOhio House District 44

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Voting info and more

Questions about this race

Who is running for Judge of the Wood County Probate Court in 2026?

When is the Judge of the Wood County Probate Court 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 Wood 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.

Verify this race

Candidate roster from official Wood 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 Wood County sample ballot and your exact ballot by address.

The rest of your Wood County ballot

6 tracked races in Wood County, Ohio. Landed here from another county's search? Look up your own ballot below.

Also on your ballot

Ohio House District 75 Wood County Commissioner Wood County Auditor See all 6 Wood County races

Candidate profiles

Megan E. Newlove, full profile Doug Ruck, full profile Official Ohio election office