Ohio primary will set up a fall election that could flip partisan control of the state supreme court

By JULIE CARR SMYTH and CHRISTINE FERNANDO
Associated Press

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio is expected to star in this year’s big races for state supreme court seats. During Tuesday’s primary, Democrats will be choosing a candidate to compete for an open seat on a court that will be at the center of fights over redistricting, public education, health care, environmental issues and criminal justice. But it’s abortion that Democrats hope will be a game-changer in a state that has swung from centrist to reliably Republican over the past decade. The Ohio Supreme Court’s 4-3 Republican majority could flip to Democrats’ favor in the fall if the party sweeps the three seats up for election this year.