County Prosecutor Candidate Profile

The March Primary Election will shape the future of the criminal legal systems in Cuyahoga, Franklin, and Hamilton counties. We all must vote for our values and fight for our rights. To underscore the importance of these three primary races, we created comparative profiles to highlight the candidates’ positions on key ACLU issues: marijuana legalization and Issue 2 implementation, the death penalty, cash bail, and youth bindover. County prosecutors hold significant power and have the discretion to decide which legal cases they pursue and what charges they file.

The ACLU Of Ohio does not endorse or oppose candidates for office.

Methodology

Cuyahoga County:

• Information for Matthew Ahn was collected from his campaign website, LinkedIn profile, Ideastram 1 & 2, Signal Cleveland, YouTube, X, and Facebook.
• Information for Michael O’Malley was collected from his campaign website, the Official Cuyahoga County Prosecutor website, Signal Cleveland, Cleveland Scene, Document Cloud, and Facebook.

Franklin County:

• Information for Shayla Favor was collected from her LinkedIn profile, the Official Columbus government website 1, 2, & 3, The Collective PAC, Instagram, and Facebook.
• Information for Natalia Harris was collected from her campaign website, Central State University, YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook.
• Information for Anthony Pierson was collected from his campaign website, LinkedIn profile, Spectrum News 1, and Columbus Dispatch.
• Information for John Rutan was collected from his campaign website and Rutan Law Firm website.

Hamilton County:

• Information for Connie Pillich was collected from her campaign website, LinkedIn profile, Columbus Dispatch, LegiScan.
• Information for Melissa Powers was collected from her campaign website, the Official Hamilton County Prosecutor website, Fox 19, WCPO, and Facebook.