Matthew George, 45, has secured the Republican nomination for Ohio’s 5th District Court of Appeals, emerging from a three-candidate primary race Tuesday night.

Matthew George secures the Republican nomination for Ohio’s 5th District Court of Appeals. (Image provided by Matthew George)

George defeated fellow Republicans Matt Donahue and Jeff Furr.

According to final unofficial results from the Secretary of State website, George had 46.35 percent in the District.

Of the total, 44.91 percent of the vote was in Richland County, 52.79 percent in Knox County and 48.58 percent in Delaware County.

George had 41.47 percent in Ashland County, according to final unofficial results from the Ashland County Board of Elections.

The victory advances George to the November general election, where voters will decide who will fill the six-year term on the appellate bench.

The 5th District Court of Appeals hears cases from multiple counties across north central and eastern Ohio, reviewing decisions from lower courts and interpreting how state law is applied. The position carries an annual salary of $187,013.

The general election will take place in November, with the winning candidate set to begin a six-year term on the bench in 2027.

“Thank you to the voters of the 5th District. I will work hard to fulfill the responsibilities placed upon me and live up to the trust you have given me,” George said.

He added he is especially grateful to those who volunteered, prayed, contributed and helped get the word out for his candidacy. 

“I am blessed with great friends and supporters,” George said.

George, a judge on the Licking County Municipal Court, campaigned on an originalist judicial philosophy, emphasizing courts should interpret laws based on their plain meaning rather than reshape them.

“Ohio needs judges who will faithfully apply the law, not rewrite it,” George previously said. “At every level of government, we have seen activist judges impose their own views instead of following the Constitution and statutes as written.

“I have spent my career as an independent judge and magistrate,” he said. “I will continue to apply the law as written, without influence or agenda.”

He first ran for office in 2019, stating he wanted to ensure judges reflect values many Ohioans possess – faith, liberty, limited government and a proper understanding of the constitutional system. 

He described himself as a consistent, proven conservative and an originalist, stating he has applied that philosophy throughout his career.