CHILLICOTHE, OH — Democratic leaders across Southern Ohio have selected Athens County Municipal Court Judge Todd L. Grace as the party’s nominee for the 4th District Court of Appeals following a special meeting of 14-county district leaders.
The emergency nomination fills a sudden ballot vacancy created by the recent death of incumbent Appeals Court Judge Peter B. Abele. Judge Grace was officially certified by the Ross County Board of Elections ahead of early voting, which began Tuesday, October 6.
The special nominating meeting was called and chaired by Sarah Senff, Ross County Democratic Party Chair and candidate for Ohio House District 92. Senff highlighted Grace’s extensive judicial background as the central argument for his candidacy.
“Judge Grace’s 24 years of judicial experience make him an excellent candidate who would be ready on day one for a move to a higher court,” Senff said. “Jayme Fountain’s lack of any experience on the bench presents a much steeper hill for her to climb. The people of southern Ohio deserve a candidate who is ready now to serve with wisdom earned across decades. Judge Todd L. Grace is that candidate.”
Judge Grace, who currently serves in his eleventh year on the Athens County Municipal Court bench, previously spent 13 years as a magistrate in Athens County Juvenile Court. He currently serves as Chair of the Board of Trustees for the Ohio Judicial College and holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Michigan Law School.
In accepting the nomination, Grace offered condolences to the family of his predecessor.
“First and foremost, I extend my deepest condolences to Judge Abele’s loved ones and all those whose lives he touched through his many years of service to Ohio’s judiciary,” Grace stated. “I am honored to have been nominated and look forward to the opportunity to bring my 24 years of judicial experience to the Court of Appeals and continuing to serve the people of Southern Ohio.”
Grace faces Republican nominee Jayme Fountain, the Pickaway County Prosecutor, in the upcoming General Election race.
Party officials expressed gratitude toward the Boards of Elections staff in all 14 counties—Adams, Athens, Gallia, Highland, Hocking, Jackson, Lawrence, Meigs, Pickaway, Pike, Ross, Scioto, Vinton, and Washington—for working late into the evening to update ballots on short notice.
Despite concerns noted by Republican leaders regarding potential delays in notifying the public about Judge Abele’s passing, party officials confirmed that the candidate certification process was completed successfully without hindering Grace’s placement on the ballot.
