Brown, 56, starts May 3. He will serve out Moyer’s term, which expires in January 2011, and this fall will run for a full six-year term. He faces Justice Maureen O’Connor, a Republican and former lieutenant governor under Bob Taft.
Ten weeks ago, Strickland recruited Brown to run against O’Connor and gave him his endorsement. Strickland affirmed that endorsement on Wednesday, saying Brown will bring an impartial voice to the court.
“Eric Brown’s 30 years of public service combined with his management experience and legal knowledge and expertise, inside and outside of government, make him uniquely qualified to lead the court,” Strickland said.
Ohio Republican Party Chairman Kevin De-Wine attacked Strickland and Brown, saying the governor was “trashing” Moyer’s legacy of working to remove partisan politics from the judiciary and calling Brown a mediocre judge.
“Most Ohioans will seriously question his judgment when they learn that he refused to issue the death penalty to a man convicted of raping and murdering a 17-month-old child,” DeWine said in a written statement.
Brown served on a three-judge panel that tried John M. White in 2007 for child rape and murder. One judge wanted to sentence White to death, while Brown and another opted for life without parole, according to the Columbus Dispatch.
O’Connor, 58, is expected to be a tough opponent. In 2008, she got more votes than any other candidate on the ballot in Ohio, including Barack Obama.
O’Connor, who first joined the court in 2003, said she believes voters will decide the race based on the candidates’ experience and administrative skills.
“We’ll see what happens in November,” she said. “I certainly believe the best woman will win.”
If O’Connor beats Brown this fall, Strickland will be able to appoint her replacement in January 2011. Strickland said there is no deal with Brown that Brown would get that appointment if he loses the chief justice race.
The Democrats haven’t had a justice on the Ohio Supreme Court since Alice Robie Resnick decided not to seek re-election and left the court in 2006.
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