Marilyn Zayas, a Democrat and judge on the Ohio First District Court of Appeals, is running against Republican Daniel R. Hawkins for Ohio Supreme Court Justice in the Nov. 3 general election.

Asked why she is seeking the seat, Zayas said in our candidate questionnaire, "I believe everyone deserves courts they can trust to follow the Constitution, the law and the facts, not politics." She added, "I have accepted zero corporate contributions from energy, banking or insurance interests because judicial independence matters."

Candidate information

Party: Zayas said in our questionnaire, "Democrat. Judicial office, however, requires independence from political parties. A judge's responsibility is not to a party, candidate or political interest. It is to the Constitution, the law and the facts."

Education: "J.D., University of Cincinnati College of Law, 1997. B.S. in Computer Science, City College of the City University of New York (CUNY), 1987," Zayas said in our questionnaire.

Family: Zayas said in our questionnaire, "My parents came to the United States from Puerto Rico. My mother had only a seventh-grade education and worked as a factory seamstress. After leaving a difficult marriage, she raised three children on a factory salary." She added, "I am also a mother of three adult children."

Experience and public service

Zayas has served on the First District Court of Appeals since 2016.

Asked about her work history, Zayas said in our questionnaire, "I have nearly 20 years of experience as an attorney, representing individuals, families and businesses in state and federal matters, including criminal, family, immigration, intellectual property, labor and employment, custody, adoption and business cases." Before practicing law, she said, "I worked as an IT Manager at Procter & Gamble … Used my savings to attend law school, then built a legal career focused on serving people and solving problems."

Zayas said in our questionnaire that in 2025, she "was selected three times within a 40-day period by the Chief Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court, who is from a different political party than me, to sit by special assignment on the Supreme Court when a justice was recused."

She also founded the Educating Tomorrow's Leaders program after her 2016 election, according to her appellate court biography. Zayas said in our questionnaire that "more than 2,000 high school, undergraduate and law school students across Ohio have participated."

On the issues

Judicial endorsements of political candidates: Asked about the Ohio Supreme Court's ruling that judges may make political endorsements, Zayas said in our questionnaire, "I disagree with the decision because judicial independence is not only about being impartial; it is also about maintaining public confidence in that impartiality … I will never endorse a political candidate. I believe judges should leave politics at the courthouse door."

Precedent: Zayas said in our questionnaire, "Stability in the law is essential. Precedent should carry substantial weight because people, courts, businesses and government rely on established law when making decisions." She added, "The Supreme Court should overrule its prior decisions only when there is a compelling reason to do so … A court should not change the law simply because the composition of the court has changed or because a different result is preferred."

Party labels on judicial ballots: Zayas said in our questionnaire, "I believe that both party endorsements and partisan ballot labels politicize the judiciary and undermine public confidence in independent courts."

Specialized courts: Zayas said in our questionnaire that she "strongly support[s] the appropriate expansion of Veterans, Mental Health, and Drug Courts to foster safer communities."

The general election is Nov. 3.