Carl Aveni is running for Franklin County Common Pleas Court Judge, General Division, in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election. The race is nonpartisan.

Aveni has served as a Franklin County Common Pleas Court judge since 2021, according to BallotReady. He is certified for the ballot. Franklin County's Common Pleas Court handles felony criminal cases, civil disputes and domestic relations matters that affect residents across the county, including the Hilliard area.

No policy positions or issue responses from Aveni were available for this profile.

Candidate information

  • Residence: Columbus, Ohio
  • Family: Married with two children
  • Education: Bachelor's degree, American University (1991); juris doctor, cum laude, Boston University (1996)
  • Community involvement: Member and chair of the investment committee, Maple Grove United Methodist Church, Columbus; former den leader (six years), Cub Scout Pack 74, Simon Kenton Council
  • Professional memberships: International Association of Defense Counsel, where he has served as state membership chair and vice chair of programming for the trial techniques and tactics committee and the business litigation committee

Experience and public service

Aveni practiced law for more than two decades before taking the bench. He worked as an associate at Porter, Wright, Morris & Arthur LLP from 1998 to 2006, according to the Columbus/Central Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council. He then joined Carlile, Patchen & Murphy LLP, where he served as partner from 2006 to 2021, according to BallotReady. At that firm he also held roles as co-chair of the litigation department and in-house general counsel, according to the trades council.

Aveni served as an editor of the Boston University Law Review, according to the Judicial Votes Count project at the University of Akron.

He has served as a Franklin County Common Pleas Court judge from 2021 to the present, according to BallotReady.

Endorsements

Aveni has received the following endorsements, each claimed by the endorsing organization:

  • Columbus/Central Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council
  • AFL-CIO

The Hilliard Herald did not interview the candidate for this profile. Information is drawn from the Judicial Votes Count project, BallotReady and the Columbus/Central Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council. No issue questionnaire responses were available.