CANTON — The Ohio Fifth District Court of Appeals will have three new faces next February according to final, unofficial vote totals from the Ohio Secretary of State.
The fifth district represents Ashland, Coshocton, Delaware, Fairfield, Guernsey, Holmes, Knox, Licking, Morgan, Morrow, Muskingum, Perry, Richland, Stark and Tuscarawas counties in Ohio. It is headquartered in Canton.
The court’s primary function is to hear appeals from the courts of common pleas and municipal and county courts.
Some cases in front of the district courts may be further appealed to the Supreme Court of Ohio.
No Democrats filed for the available judge seats. Robert G. Montgomery, David Gormley and Kevin W. Popham won their respective elections following judges W. Scott Gwin and John W. Wise announcing their retirements.
Six judges sit on the Fifth District Court of Appeals. Each case is heard and decided by a three-judge panel.
Additional information about the winning candidates is below.
Robert G. Montgomery
Montgomery won the three-way Republican race between himself, Aletha M. Carver and Jeff Furr. He served as a probate for the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas from 2001–2021.
The Capital University Law School graduate also has experience in estate planning, real estate and business law. He was elected as Franklin County recorder, serving from 2000 to 2010.
During his tenure as probate judge, Montgomery created several programs and courts that provide help to low-income individuals and support individuals with mental health issues.
His term as appellate judge will begin Feb. 9, 2025 — filling Judge Wise’s seat.
Kevin W. Popham
Attorney Kevin Popham defeated Stark County Common Pleas Probate Judge Dixie Park in a close race Tuesday.
The Fifth district race recorded more than 157,000 votes across its 15 counties, with 51% of those votes going to Popham, according to final, unofficial vote totals.
Popham is a senior trial attorney at Nationwide Insurance. He served as magistrate of the Court of Claims of Ohio and assistant Ohio Attorney General.
His civil litigation includes personal injury, construction defects, malpractice defense, and premises defense, among other areas.
Popham received his law degree from Capital University Law School and resides in Delaware.
He will fill Judge Gwin’s seat beginning Feb. 10, 2025.
David Gormley
David Gormley defeated incumbent Patricia Delaney, who was first elected to the bench in 2006 as a Democrat and re-elected twice. She will continue to serve as a judge through Feb. 10 before Gormley replaces her seat.
Gormley is a Delaware County Common Pleas judge and a 1990 Harvard University graduate. He has served as an assistant prosecutor, assistant attorney general, state solicitor, and lawyer for the Ohio Supreme Court.
He previously served on the Delaware Municipal Court before his election to the Delaware County Common Pleas Court. The Powell resident has experience in civil and criminal cases as well as appellate experience.
Gormley’s term will start on Feb. 11, 2025.
Who won our counties?
A majority of Richland and Knox county voters who cast votes in the judges races voted for Robert G. Montgomery, Kevin W. Popham and David Gormley.
Here was the Richland breakdown:
- 6,510 votes for Robert G. Montgomery; 2,505 for Jeff Furr; 2,471 for Aletha M. Carver
- 6,997 for Kevin W. Popham and 4,458 for Dixie Park
- 6,641 for David Gormley and 4,958 votes for Patricia Delaney
Ashland County voted primarily for Robert G. Montgomery, Dixie Park and David Gormley.
Here was the Ashland breakdown:
- 3,100 votes for Robert G. Montgomery; 2,607 for Aletha M. Carver; 1,111 for Jeff Furr
- 3,438 for Dixie Park and 3,249 for Kevin W. Popham
- 3,423 for David Gormley and 3,193 for Patricia Delaney
Here was the Knox breakdown:
- 5,564 votes for Robert G. Montgomery; 2,073 for Aletha M. Carver; 1,448 for Jeff Furr
- 4,753 for Kevin W. Popham and 4,442 for Dixie Park
- 4,742 for David Gormley and 3,993 votes for Patricia Delaney
Note: These totals are from final, unofficial tallies from each county’s board of elections office.
As a community development group committed to growing Mansfield, NECIC sees civic engagement as vital for a healthy community. Rooted in the North End, their efforts benefit North Central Ohio and beyond. They promote informed voter turnout for a thriving society. Explore at www.necic-ohio.org.