Marilyn Zayas, a Democrat and judge on Ohio's First District Court of Appeals, is running for Ohio Supreme Court Justice in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election. Republican Daniel R. Hawkins is also in the race.

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 … I am running to bring that same experience, independence and commitment to the state's highest court. I have accepted zero corporate contributions from energy, banking or insurance interests because judicial independence matters."

Candidate information

Party: Democrat. Zayas said in our questionnaire: "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: Zayas said in our questionnaire: "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."

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 … I am also a mother of three adult children."

Background: Zayas was born in East Harlem, New York City, to parents who migrated from Puerto Rico, according to her Wikipedia page. In 2016, she became the first person of Latino heritage elected to a Court of Appeals in Ohio, according to her First District Court of Appeals biography.

Experience and public service

Zayas said in our questionnaire: "I am a Judge on the Ohio First District Court of Appeals, where I have served for nearly a decade and decided more than 2,000 appeals across Ohio. I have also served repeatedly on the Ohio Supreme Court by special assignment, replacing a recused justice."

Zayas also said in our questionnaire: "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."

After her 2016 election, Zayas founded the Educating Tomorrow's Leaders program, an educational initiative inviting high school, undergraduate and law school students to the Court of Appeals to interact with judges and attorneys, according to her First District Court of Appeals biography. The Hispanic National Bar Association selected her as the 2024 Latina Judge of the Year.

On the issues

Judicial endorsements of political candidates: On April 2, 2026, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled 5–1 in Disciplinary Counsel v. Rudduck that the judicial rule prohibiting public endorsements of other candidates violated the First Amendment. 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 continued: "The Supreme Court should overrule its prior decisions only when there is a compelling reason to do so."

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. Once elected, a judge's sole obligation is to the Constitution, the law, and the facts, not a political party."