Three Republicans face off in municipal judge primary
Winner will face at least two others in November
Bob Campbell
MEDINA – Three Republicans will face off in the May 2 primary for the Medina Municipal Judge post, with the winner facing a Democratic challenger and at least one independent candidate in November.
Medina Municipal Judge Dale Chase announced in January he would not seek re-election for another six-year term. He was first elected in 1987.
The Republican candidates include Frederick Bougher, 65, an attorney and lifelong Medina resident; Joe Salzgeber, 48, a Brunswick city councilman; and Gary Werner, 55, a former Brunswick mayor who ran for county common pleas judge in 2014.
The winner will face Democrat J.R. Russell, an attorney with Goldman & Rosen in Akron and independent candidate Bob Campbell, a criminal defense attorney who mostly practices in Medina County.
Despite a partisan primary, voters will not see candidates' party labels in November as judicial races in Ohio are considered non-partisan.
Carol Lawler, director of the Medina County Board of Elections, said anyone interested in running as an independent candidate for the judgeship must turn in petitions by May 1, the day before the primary election.
Republican candidates
Bougher, 65, previously had a private practice in Medina and is currently employed as in-house counsel for Invacare in Elyria supervising other attorneys and working on litigation. Before becoming an attorney, Bougher was an officer and sergeant for the Medina Police Department in the 1970s.
Bougher said he has previously served as an acting judge for Chase in Medina Municipal Court and said he thinks he would enjoy this type of public service.
"I always felt I wanted to give something back," Bougher said. "I think this would be a good way to do that."
Salzgeber has served as an attorney in Medina County courts for about 20 years, first as an assistant county prosecutor, city prosecutor and in private practice. He specializes in criminal appellate cases, civil debt cases, foreclosures and criminal matters.
Salzgeber said what makes him different from his other two opponents is that he appears often in Medina Municipal Court and has his office in Medina.
"I have the background and expertise that would make me a good judge," he said.
In 2015, he was elected as Brunswick's Ward 3 councilman and previously served as Ward 2's representative from 2002-03. In addition, Salzgeber was magistrate for the Brunswick Mayor's Court from 2007-08.
Werner, 55, previously served as Brunswick's mayor from 2010-13 and as a councilman in both Ward 1 and at-large. He is employed as an attorney at Berns, Ockner and Greenberger in Beachwood, specializing in zoning and land use matters.
He said becoming a judge is a "lifelong objective;" Werner previously ran in 2014 for common pleas judge, but was defeated by Joyce Kimbler in the general election.
As Brunswick's mayor, he was responsible for running the city's mayor's court, which handles many of the same cases as the municipal court such as traffic tickets, OVIs and marijuana possession.
While he is still doing research, Werner said he is interested in exploring how the municipal court can reach out to those suffering from addiction, the cause of many crimes. The common pleas court has drug court programs, but those are for people facing more serious felony charges like heroin possession.
Russell, 40, is running unopposed in the Democratic primary. The Medina resident specializes in civil litigation and is the part-time prosecutor for the village of Lodi, which reports to Wadsworth Municipal Court.
He said both of his positions primarily concern matters heard in municipal court, necessary experience for a prospective municipal court judge.
"This is something I've been interested in for quite a long time," Russell said about a judge position.
In 2013, Russell filed a lawsuit against then-Medina City Schools Superintendent Randy Stepp in 2013, stating he was damaged because the school board illegally approved a new contract for Stepp without proper observation of the state’s open meeting laws. That suit is still pending and the latest ruling might be appealed to the Ohio Supreme Court.
Although he has not formally filed his election paperwork, Campbell, of Chippewa Lake, said he is running as an independent due to his belief one's political party should not matter for a judge. This is his first time running for elected office.
He has been in practice for 25 years, with most of his current caseload consisting of criminal defense work.
Campbell said he appears regularly in Medina Municipal Court and said this experience, along with serving as a acting judge in Chase's place over 80 times, has given him the necessary experience for the job. In the acting judge role, he has listened to evidence and sentenced defendants.
"It's an important position for someone with very specific qualifications to be there," he said.
The Medina Municipal Court jurisdiction includes the cities of Brunswick and Medina, villages of Spencer and Chippewa Lake and 11 townships – Liverpool, Brunswick Hills, Hinckley, Litchfield, York, Medina, Granger, Spencer, Chatham, Lafayette and Montville.
Medina Municipal Judge Dale Chase announced in January he would not seek re-election for another six-year term. He was first elected in 1987.
The Republican candidates include Frederick Bougher, 65, an attorney and lifelong Medina resident; Joe Salzgeber, 48, a Brunswick city councilman; and Gary Werner, 55, a former Brunswick mayor who ran for county common pleas judge in 2014.
The winner will face Democrat J.R. Russell, an attorney with Goldman & Rosen in Akron and independent candidate Bob Campbell, a criminal defense attorney who mostly practices in Medina County.
Despite a partisan primary, voters will not see candidates' party labels in November as judicial races in Ohio are considered non-partisan.
Carol Lawler, director of the Medina County Board of Elections, said anyone interested in running as an independent candidate for the judgeship must turn in petitions by May 1, the day before the primary election.
Republican candidates
Bougher, 65, previously had a private practice in Medina and is currently employed as in-house counsel for Invacare in Elyria supervising other attorneys and working on litigation. Before becoming an attorney, Bougher was an officer and sergeant for the Medina Police Department in the 1970s.
Bougher said he has previously served as an acting judge for Chase in Medina Municipal Court and said he thinks he would enjoy this type of public service.
"I always felt I wanted to give something back," Bougher said. "I think this would be a good way to do that."
Salzgeber has served as an attorney in Medina County courts for about 20 years, first as an assistant county prosecutor, city prosecutor and in private practice. He specializes in criminal appellate cases, civil debt cases, foreclosures and criminal matters.
Salzgeber said what makes him different from his other two opponents is that he appears often in Medina Municipal Court and has his office in Medina.
"I have the background and expertise that would make me a good judge," he said.
In 2015, he was elected as Brunswick's Ward 3 councilman and previously served as Ward 2's representative from 2002-03. In addition, Salzgeber was magistrate for the Brunswick Mayor's Court from 2007-08.
Werner, 55, previously served as Brunswick's mayor from 2010-13 and as a councilman in both Ward 1 and at-large. He is employed as an attorney at Berns, Ockner and Greenberger in Beachwood, specializing in zoning and land use matters.
He said becoming a judge is a "lifelong objective;" Werner previously ran in 2014 for common pleas judge, but was defeated by Joyce Kimbler in the general election.
As Brunswick's mayor, he was responsible for running the city's mayor's court, which handles many of the same cases as the municipal court such as traffic tickets, OVIs and marijuana possession.
While he is still doing research, Werner said he is interested in exploring how the municipal court can reach out to those suffering from addiction, the cause of many crimes. The common pleas court has drug court programs, but those are for people facing more serious felony charges like heroin possession.
Russell, 40, is running unopposed in the Democratic primary. The Medina resident specializes in civil litigation and is the part-time prosecutor for the village of Lodi, which reports to Wadsworth Municipal Court.
He said both of his positions primarily concern matters heard in municipal court, necessary experience for a prospective municipal court judge.
"This is something I've been interested in for quite a long time," Russell said about a judge position.
In 2013, Russell filed a lawsuit against then-Medina City Schools Superintendent Randy Stepp in 2013, stating he was damaged because the school board illegally approved a new contract for Stepp without proper observation of the state’s open meeting laws. That suit is still pending and the latest ruling might be appealed to the Ohio Supreme Court.
Although he has not formally filed his election paperwork, Campbell, of Chippewa Lake, said he is running as an independent due to his belief one's political party should not matter for a judge. This is his first time running for elected office.
He has been in practice for 25 years, with most of his current caseload consisting of criminal defense work.
Campbell said he appears regularly in Medina Municipal Court and said this experience, along with serving as a acting judge in Chase's place over 80 times, has given him the necessary experience for the job. In the acting judge role, he has listened to evidence and sentenced defendants.
"It's an important position for someone with very specific qualifications to be there," he said.
The Medina Municipal Court jurisdiction includes the cities of Brunswick and Medina, villages of Spencer and Chippewa Lake and 11 townships – Liverpool, Brunswick Hills, Hinckley, Litchfield, York, Medina, Granger, Spencer, Chatham, Lafayette and Montville.