Judge Terri Jamison, a Democrat, is running for Ohio Appellate Court Judge in District 10 in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election.
Jamison has served on the Ohio 10th District Court of Appeals since 2021, according to her campaign website. She is certified for the ballot. The seat's term commences July 1. Before joining the appellate bench, Jamison served at the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas, placing her work in the same county as Upper Arlington and Grandview Heights.
Jamison said on her campaign website that her judicial philosophy is to be "Unbossed and Unbought," stating a judge should not be swayed by public opinion or campaign contributions. She said she is seeking election to preserve the court's status as an independent and co-equal branch of government.
Candidate information
- Party: Democratic
- Office sought: Ohio Appellate Court Judge, District 10 (Term Commencing July 1)
- Hometown: Originally from Welch, West Virginia
- Education: High school diploma, Welch High School; coursework at Columbus State Community College; bachelor's degree in business administration, Franklin University (2000); juris doctor, Capital University (2004); honorary doctor of community leadership, Franklin University (2021)
Experience and public service
Jamison said on her campaign website that before entering law, she worked as a coal miner at U.S. Steel/Olga Coal Company as a member of United Mine Workers of America Local 7635. She also said she worked as a day care provider trainer, eligibility worker and fraud investigator at the West Virginia Department of Welfare, and as an owner/agent at Allstate Insurance from 1985 to 2000, according to BallotReady.
After earning her law degree, Jamison said she interned at the Franklin County Public Defender's Office, the Bureau of State Hearings and the Ohio Attorney General's Office civil rights section. She then served as an assistant public defender at the Franklin County Public Defender's Office. She was principal of Jamison Law Offices from 2005 to 2012, according to BallotReady. Her firm had offices in Columbus, Mansfield and Springfield, focusing on criminal, domestic, juvenile and probate law, she said on her campaign website.
Jamison served as a hearing officer at the Unemployment Compensation Review Commission from 2010 to 2011, according to BallotReady. She then served as a judge at the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas Domestic Relations-Juvenile Court from 2013 to 2021 before joining the appellate bench.
She said on her campaign website that she has taught as an adjunct professor of business law at Daymar College and as adjunct faculty in interviewing and counseling at Capital University Law School. She said she is a founder and executive board member of the Ohio Black Judges Association and a board member of the Ohio Association of Juvenile Court Judges.
On the issues
Judicial philosophy: Jamison said on her campaign website that she interprets law by referring to original intent or original meaning at the time it was created, while applying it to current society to ensure justice and equity for all people. She said she seeks to ensure "Equal Justice Under Law" for all Ohioans.
Endorsements
The following endorsements are listed on Jamison's campaign website and BallotReady:
- AFL-CIO
- Human Rights Campaign
- Laborer's International Union of North America (LiUNA) Local 500
- Matriots PAC
- Ohio Democratic Party
- Ohio Education Association
- Our Revolution Ohio
- P.O.E.R. Police Officers for Equal Rights
- Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio
- The Collective PAC
- United Mine Workers of America
- Working Families Party
Candidate information is drawn from Jamison's campaign website and BallotReady. Statements about her record, experience and positions are the candidate's own claims unless otherwise noted.
