COLUMBUS — Franklin County Probate Court Judge Eric Brown jumped into his first statewide campaign on Tuesday, Feb. 2, when he announced he is running against for Ohio Supreme Court chief justice against Republican Maureen O’Connor.

Brown has a solid resume: he served 15 years on the Mayfield City School board, 11 years as an Ohio assistant attorney general and more than 5 years on judicial benches, owned a small business and is married to Franklin County Commissioner Marilyn Brown, who abandoned a statewide run for secretary of state last year. Brown, 56, has a political base in both Cuyahoga and Franklin counties.

He is running against a formidable opponent in Justice O’Connor.

In 2008, O’Connor got more votes statewide than any other candidate, including Barack Obama. On the court since 2002, O’Connor is a former Summit County prosecutor, magistrate and judge, former lieutenant governor under Bob Taft and former director of the Ohio Department of Public Safety.

Currently, all seven seats on the state Supreme Court are held by Republicans, which Brown and Gov. Ted Strickland argue is unhealthy for Ohio.

“Ohio needs a chief justice who brings to the court a view point that challenges the thinking of the other justices. I will add the balance needed so that the court more accurately reflects the people that it serves,” Brown said at a Statehouse press conference.

If O’Connor wins the chief justice slot, Strickland will appoint her replacement. Brown and Strickland declined to say whether the two have talked about Brown being appointed in the scenario.

“We are in this to win. I can tell you, we are very serious about the supreme court races,” Strickland said.

Contact this reporter at (614)224-1624 or lbischoff@DaytonDailyNews.com.