Hawkins seeks full term on Ohio Supreme Court

Justice Daniel R. Hawkins, a Republican, is running for a full term on the Ohio Supreme Court in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election. He faces Democrat Marilyn Zayas.

Hawkins is the 164th justice of the Ohio Supreme Court, according to his official court biography. He was born and raised in Columbus. Before joining the high court, he served as a judge on the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas and the Franklin County Municipal Court's Environmental Division.

Candidate information

Office sought: Ohio Supreme Court Justice (Term Commencing Jan. 1)
Party: Republican
Ballot status: Certified for the ballot
Education: Bachelor's degree in criminal justice, Bowling Green State University (1998); juris doctor, The Ohio State University (2001); high school diploma, St. Francis DeSales High School
Residence: Columbus, Ohio

Experience and public service

Before taking the bench, Hawkins worked as a prosecutor in Franklin County. He served as an assistant prosecuting attorney at the Franklin County Prosecutor's Office from 2001 to 2003, according to his Federalist Society biography. He also served as director of the Special Victims Unit at the Franklin County Prosecutor's Office from 1999 to 2013, according to BallotReady profile data.

In that role, Hawkins was credited with conducting several jury trials, including six death penalty cases, according to his Federalist Society biography. He was also credited with prosecuting violent crimes involving women and children, including homicides, sexual assaults, child abuse, human trafficking and internet child exploitation.

He was elected to the Franklin County Municipal Court's Environmental Division in 2013 and served until 2019. He then served as a judge on the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas, General Division, from 2019 to 2024. While on the Common Pleas bench, Hawkins earned top ratings from the Columbus Bar Association and recognition from law enforcement and community organizations, according to his official court biography.

Hawkins joined the Ohio Supreme Court in 2025.

His professional memberships have included the American Judges Association, the Ohio Judicial Conference and the Association of Municipal County Judges of Ohio. He has also been a member of the Ohio State Bar Association and the Columbus Bar Association, according to his Federalist Society biography.