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

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: "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," Zayas said in our questionnaire.

Family: "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," Zayas said. She added, "I am also a mother of three adult children."

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. She noted she created the Educating Tomorrow's Leaders Program in 2017 "to introduce students to the judicial system and help them see themselves as capable of pursuing careers in law and public service. More than 2,000 high school, undergraduate and law school students across Ohio have participated."

Experience and public service

Zayas has served on the First District Court of Appeals since 2016. According to her biography on the court's website, she was the first person of Latino heritage elected to a Court of Appeals in Ohio and the first Latina elected to any position in Hamilton County.

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." She also said, "Before practicing law, I worked as an IT Manager at Procter & Gamble, where I solved complex problems. Used my savings to attend law school, then built a legal career focused on serving people and solving problems."

She was selected as the 2024 Latina Judge of the Year by the National Hispanic Bar Association, according to the court's website.

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." She added, "I will never endorse a political candidate. I believe judges should leave politics at the courthouse door."

Precedent: "Stability in the law is essential. Precedent should carry substantial weight because people, courts, businesses and government rely on established law when making decisions," Zayas said. "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 and specialized courts: Asked whether party labels should appear on Ohio Supreme Court ballots, Zayas said, "I believe that both party endorsements and partisan ballot labels politicize the judiciary and undermine public confidence in independent courts." She also said she "strongly support[s] the appropriate expansion of Veterans, Mental Health, and Drug Courts to foster safer communities."