Of the 33 judges on the General Division of the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court, 11 are up for reelection this year. Only one incumbent judge faces opposition in the Democratic primary that will be held this May 5. That Judge is William Vodrey.
Elected in 2021, Vodrey was a former assistant county prosecutor, engaged in the private practice of law and served as a Magistrate for the Cleveland Municipal Court from 2001- 2020. Voters should consider his 32 years of legal experience versus that of his opponent, a 2014 law school graduate who has served 11 years as an assistant county prosecutor — his only job since law school.
Judge Vodrey is the endorsed Democrat in this race. He has also been endorsed by the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Mayor Justin Bibb, former Congresswoman Marcia Fudge, the Northeast Ohio Veterans Caucus, the Progressive Caucus and Labor.
Voters of Cuyahoga County have played the name game for years. For whatever reason, Irish surnames have been magic on the judicial ballot.
There are seven judges in Cuyahoga County who share Judge Vodrey’s opponent last name: three are on the Court of Appeals, three in the Common Please Court—general division, and one in the probate division. There is only one male judge in that group, and he happens to share the same middle name as Judge Vodrey’s primary opponent. Some people may want to think this is a coincidence. In our book it’s a classic example of the judicial name game.
Since his election in 2021, Vodrey has been a perennial campaigner who goes just about everywhere, constantly making contact with voters. In his spare time, he has been a visiting professor in the law advocacy program at his alma mater, Oberlin College. An American Civil War History buff, he is past president of the Cleveland Civil War Roundtable and is a frequent speaker at Civil War Roundtables, libraries and public forums, demonstrating an in-depth knowledge of American history. Not limiting his writing to history, Judge Vodrey has 23 written decisions published in the Ohio Supreme Court official reports.
When he took office, Judge Vodrey inherited a docket with the largest backlog of criminal and civil cases in the court. Over the last five years he has done an excellent job of reducing his case load and expeditiously disposing of cases, both civil and criminal.
We agree with the analysis of the Cleveland Plain Dealer editorial board: William Vodrey is far and away the superior candidate for the seat on the Common Pleas Court, commencing January 3, 2027. and Democratic primary voters should nominate him for the opportunity to retain his position in the May Primary and the November general election.
Don’t just vote for a name. Vote for judicial experience. Vote Vodrey May 5 in the Democratic primary. Early voting starts April 7 and continues until May 3.
C. Ellen Connally is a retired judge of the Cleveland Municipal Court. From 2010 to 2014 she served as the President of the Cuyahoga County Council. An avid reader and student of American history, she is a former member of the Board of the Ohio History Connection, and past president of the Cleveland Civil War Round Table, and is currently vice president of the Cuyahoga County Soldiers and Sailors Monument Commission. She holds degrees from BGSU, CSU and is all but dissertation for a PhD from the University of Akron.