Lucas County Republicans to endorse judge candidates
4/29/2011The Lucas County Republican Party is set to meet today to endorse a candidate to face off against endorsed Democrat Michelle Wagner for a vacant seat on Toledo Municipal Court.
Republican candidates for the seat being vacated by the retirement of Democratic Judge Francis X. Gorman are lawyers Mark Davis, Josh Lanzinger, and Kenneth Phillips, party Chairman Jon Stainbrook said.
The judicial screening committee will meet at noon at party headquarters, 10 South Superior St.
Mr. Stainbrook said he appointed the screening committee according to party bylaws, with half the members from the elected central committee and the rest lawyers, business people, and Republican volunteers. He said all three candidates have agreed to support whoever gets the endorsement. The Lucas County Democratic Party last week endorsed Ms. Wagner, 44, of South Toledo. She has been the prosecutor in Sylvania Municipal Court since 1996. She was a bailiff in Toledo Municipal Court for five years while attending law school at the University of Toledo.
Ms. Wagner has not run for office before. She screened unsuccessfully with the Democratic Party to run for municipal court in 2009.
The Democrats have also endorsed lawyer John Coble, 54, of Ottawa Hills, to run against incumbent Municipal Judge Robert Christiansen, 63, a Republican.
The election is Nov. 8.