Stephanie Anderson is Built to be Judge in Geauga County
If there was a ‘Build-A-Judge’ store at Disney, Stephanie Anderson is who you would build for Geauga’s Probate/Juvenile Court Judge.
Start with the skills of a 12-year Air Force veteran/military JAG Officer where Stephanie drafted comprehensive estate plans protecting service members’ families for probate law experience.
Add 13-years as prosecutor in Cuyahoga County for which Stephanie handled high-risk domestic violence and violent felony offenses, juvenile delinquency as well as child abuse, neglect and dependency matters and, with the Ohio Auditor of State and Ohio Attorney General, working on the Public Integrity Assurance Team prosecuting complex corruption cases against officials who abused the public’s trust.
Round out Stephanie by adding family and juvenile law experience handling divorce, custody, adoption, juvenile delinquency and protection order matters.
Finishing touches include volunteer public service as a director for WomenSafe, Hope for Kids Geauga and Chester Co-Op Preschool, as well as volunteer attorney for the Ohio Domestic Violence Network, KidsLIFE Teacher at Lord of Life Church in Bainbridge Township and PTO volunteer at Lindsey Elementary School.
Geauga County is fortunate to have Stephanie Anderson as a ready-built exceptional candidate for Probate/Juvenile Court Judge. Now make your final selection voting Stephanie Anderson for Judge on May 5.
Tim Snyder
Burton Village
Jim Dvorak for Commissioner, Real Leadership
I will be voting for Jim Dvorak to remain a Geauga County Commissioner on May 5. I have known Jim for over 30 years and have always respected his deep commitment to keeping Geauga County a wonderful place to live and raise a family.
Jim and his wife, Luanne, chose to raise their family here because they recognized how special this community is. Over the years, Jim has worked tirelessly to improve the lives of those around him. He played a key role in establishing the Geauga Scholarship for students attending Kent State University’s Geauga Campus.
After the tragic loss of his daughter to a drug overdose, Jim turned his grief into action. He used his connections in the construction community to help build the Red Tulip Project House of Geauga County, a safe and supportive home for women recovering from addiction.
Jim also served for many years as a Burton Township Trustee, earning the respect of his peers across the county. His fellow trustees elected him President of the Geauga County Township Association, an organization that brings together township trustees, fiscal officers and other county leaders.
He dedicated eight years to making the Veterans Memorial on Ravenwood Drive, across from Geauga Hospital, a reality. To raise awareness and funds, Jim created the Geauga County Celebrity Bricklaying Contest, including events at the Maple Festival and a feature on Channel 8’s Kickin’ with Kenny. Following that exposure, a generous $30,000 donation helped move the project forward.
Jim Dvorak exemplifies true servant leadership. His decisions and efforts are always guided by what is best for the community. He leads thoughtfully, works hands-on when needed, and focuses on making Geauga County stronger.
Please join me on May 5 and vote for Jim Dvorak.
Kevin O’Reilly Jr.
Parkman Township
A Defining Choice on May 5
Geauga County voters face a defining choice on May 5. Will we allow the status quo to continue its dangerous slide into the Climate Agenda or will we rally behind grassroots conservative patriots who listen to the people?
For years, an entrenched “Balcony Class” — those insulated officials who peer down from their comfortable perches — have rubber-stamped every regional scheme handed to them. Whether it’s NOACA’s ideologically captured climate mandates or other top-down edicts on land use, energy, roads and regulations, they have advanced policies that burden our farms, raise costs for working families and erode the rural character that defines Geauga.
They continue the deaf ears of the Balcony Class: people who have lost the faith of the people and now work actively to silence and ignore the will of the people. Closed-door deals, rushed approvals and indifference to constituent concerns have become their trademark. These are not public servants; they are gatekeepers protecting a failing establishment. They dismiss local voices while embracing agendas written in distant boardrooms. The result is a county drifting further from the conservative principles that made it strong: fiscal restraint, property rights and common-sense governance.
In stark contrast stand grassroots conservative patriots: Steven Oluic for County Commissioner, Joe DeBoth for County Auditor, Abbey King Mueller for Probate/Juvenile Court Judge, and others running principled, common-sense platforms. These are not career politicians or insiders. They are neighbors — farmers, business owners, parents and veterans — who understand the daily struggles of Geauga families. Not over-budget rubber-stampers.
They promise transparency, accountability and a government that answers to the people, not to unelected regional planners. Their campaigns are powered by volunteers and local support, not by outside money or political machines.
Predictably, some of these patriots have been targeted by dark money hit-piece postcards mailed from outside the county. Anonymous smears funded by shadowy interests reveal the desperation of the status quo. Unable to defend their record of detachment and overreach, the Balcony Class and their allies resort to imported attacks meant to confuse and divide us. This external interference is an insult to every Geauga voter who values honest, local elections.
On May 5, we have the chance to reject the slide into extremism and the rubber-stamping that has defined recent years. We can elect leaders who will restore faith in county government by listening first to the people they serve. Steven Oluic, Joe DeBoth, Abbey King Mueller, and the other grassroots conservatives offer that alternative. They represent the quiet strength of our communities — the same strength that built Geauga and will preserve it. Geauga deserves better than balcony views and climate mandates. It deserves leaders who stand with us on the ground. Vote for the patriots on May 5. Reclaim our county for the people who live here.
Jonathan Broadbent
Newbury Township
Protect Geauga Parks Endorses Jacob for Judge
Protect Geauga Parks is pleased to endorse Kate Jacob for Geauga County Juvenile/Probate Judge. Please vote for Ms. Jacob on the Republican ballot in the May 5, 2026, Primary Election to conserve, preserve and protect our Geauga County parks.
The position of Probate Judge is crucial to the future of our Geauga Park District because the Probate Judge, by law, has sole responsibility for appointing the Park District’s Board of Commissioners. For over 12 years, the current Probate Judge has appointed Commissioners without regard for their experience or commitment to conservation.
The Judicial Candidate Committee of Protect Geauga Parks interviewed all three Republican judicial candidates for Juvenile/Probate Court Judge. We asked them all the same questions about parks-related issues. We thank all three candidates for meeting with us to answer our questions.
Based upon their answers to our questions about Geauga County parks, we can state without reservation that Kate Jacob is the candidate who will best help to fulfill Protect Geauga Parks’ mission to promote, support and actively campaign for conservation, preservation and protection as the primary mission of our parks.
Ms. Jacob will use good judgment in appointing Park Commissioners who care about our Geauga County parks, who demonstrate a proven conservation ethic and who are committed to preserving our parks’ natural resources.
We urge you to vote for Kate Jacob for Geauga County Juvenile/Probate Judge.
Shelley Chernin, President
Protect Geauga Parks
Vote Oluic for Integrity and Leadership
I write today to encourage everyone to cast your vote for Steve Oluic for Commissioner in the upcoming Republican primary. It is time for someone to be in that commissioner’s seat that is honest and has integrity.
Steve spent many years serving our country in the Army, achieving the rank of Lt. Col., earning a PhD and teaching at West Point. Having worked alongside of Steve, I know Steve is a hardworking intelligent individual who is not afraid to speak his mind, even to his superiors. He is not a politician, he says what he thinks and he means what he says, and if presented with information that changes his position he will change his stance and explain how his stance has changed and why.
This is the opposite of the person who currently sits in that commissioner’s seat. That person is the consummate politician. He changes party affiliation to get elected (but does not admit it); he changes his opinion on projects or plans that he championed once his handlers (Flaiz and Walder) tell him they disagree with it, then pretends like he did not even know those plans or projects existed; he pushes buying buildings that are owned by his friends; he is the reason why Geauga seniors do not have a permanent senior center in Chardon.
It is time for a commissioner with integrity and honor to sit in the seat. Someone who will do what is best for Geauga County citizens, not someone who does the bidding for his friends.
Gerry Morgan, Former County Administrator
Hambden Township
Vote Anderson for Judge: Ethical, Experienced Leadership
After years of Grendell-era scandals, it is time to elect a Juvenile and Probate judge who will protect families and restore integrity to the court. Stephanie Anderson has been serving her country and advocating for at-risk families her entire life.
Stephanie has been a licensed attorney since 2006 — that’s 20 years of active courtroom experience. She served in the United States Air National Guard for 12 years as a JAG officer. She has also been an assistant prosecuting attorney and a special prosecutor for a public corruption team before going into private practice. Experience matters!
As a current family lawyer, Stephanie represents those that benefit the most from a fair and ethical court.
On top of a busy legal practice, Stephanie volunteers for numerous local organizations, including Chardon and West Geauga Chambers of Commerce, the Chardon VFW and the Leadership Geauga Youth Committee, and she teaches Sunday School at her church.
Notably, Stephanie also serves on the board of WomenSafe. As a volunteer with WomenSafe myself, I see first-hand the impact Stephanie has on the lives of those vulnerable women and children.
Stephanie might not have the deep pockets of Geauga County political insiders to pay for huge signs and ads. What she does have is integrity and an incredible work ethic.
We have read about scandals in the Juvenile and Probate court system for years. It is time to go in a new direction with someone not beholden to Geauga County politics. It is time for a qualified, ethical judge on the bench who will make thoughtful decisions and put kids first.
Please join me in voting for Stephanie Heibertshausen Anderson for Geauga County Juvenile/Probate Court Judge on May 5.
Rebecca Bennett
Chardon Township
Re-elect Jim Dvorak for Geauga County Commissioner
As a friend of Jim Dvorak outside of his position as Geauga County Commissioner, I get opportunities to work with him as just a regular Geauga County resident. I have shared membership in the Rotary Club of Burton-Middlefield with him for many years and he has been a driving force in our club’s humanitarian work around the county.
Several years ago he came to the club with an idea to put on a “Fishing Tournament” for special needs children at the Walter Best Wildlife Preserve near Chardon. Jim has always done the bulk of the work in organizing the event and contacting the various schools and County agencies that oversee these children.
The day of the event is always a wonderful experience as Rotarians connect with these children whose lives are in most cases very restricted. But on Fishing Tournament day their smiles and shouts of joy are music as they hook a small fish and reel it in. Their caregivers tell us it has become one of the highlights of their school year.
Another project initiated by Jim is Burton-Middlefield’s Rotary’s “Jeep Invasion” held yearly in October at the Mayfield Road Drive-In Theater. Jeep Wrangler owners pay an entry fee and gather for a sheriff’s department guided tour through Geauga County. This includes a drive on the Maple Highlands Trail and recently, a trip through the Best Sand Pit off Route 44. Prizes, gift bags and military ceremonies make the day memorable. All proceeds from the event go to Geauga County Veteran’s Services.
Jim’s membership in Rotary exemplifies the Rotary motto of “Service Above Self.” He has applied this to his everyday life and his service as Geauga County Commissioner.
Please join me at the polls on May 5 and keep Jim Dvorak in office serving all Geauga County residents for another four years.
Robert Johnson
Burton
Our Next Probate and Juvenile Judge
There are two critical questions and answers that you should consider when deciding who to vote for as our next Judge for the Probate and Juvenile Court.
“How many years, months or days have you served as a judge or magistrate in an Ohio Court?”
“How many cases have you handled in an Ohio probate court or in an Ohio juvenile court as a judge, magistrate or as the attorney of record?”
Magistrate Abbey King has presided as a magistrate in our Probate and Juvenile Court for at least eight years. During those eight years, she attended numerous classes and seminars regarding the duties of a magistrate and judge and, for several years, she was a member of the National College of Probate Judges, again receiving relevant training.
Neither attorney Anderson nor attorney Jacob has served as a magistrate or judge in our probate and juvenile court. It is my understanding that neither attorney Anderson nor attorney Jacob has served as a magistrate or judge in any court, but certainly that question should be asked of each of them.
Magistrate Abbey King has handled over 4,700 cases in our juvenile court and at least as many in our probate court, in the past eight years. Attorney Anderson has not served as attorney of record in our probate court. Her specialty is family law matters, not juvenile or probate matters.
Kate Jacob has little experience in our probate court and has handled relatively few cases in our juvenile court through the county prosecutor’s office, and this has ceased due to her employment by the county auditor’s office as the chief compliance officer and administrator.
Magistrate King is by far the choice to serve as our next judge for probate and juvenile court. Please vote on May 5.
Sharon L. Madger
Hambden Township
A Commissioner Who Listens First
Some people are just bolted up to serve. Jim Dvorak is that way. His involvement in the community, service organizations and church may have made it difficult for him to be a Township Trustee and now a Geauga County Commissioner. But Jim is focused and present and dependable in whatever job he is in.
I am grateful for Jim’s approach to governing, getting to understand the issues by listening to people who are experts and people who have lived experience. By processing ideas prior to considering solutions, it is possible to solve problems, save taxpayer dollars, improve services and meet the needs of constituents.
I have been present in situations where Jim Dvorak presided as chair and brought in not only people highly competent in that area, but also people with firsthand experience. The combination often leads to ‘common-sense-first’ solutions.
Jim Dvorak works diligently for Geauga, driven by his passion for the County’s success and his commitment to being a responsible, effective representative.
I am urging all of Geauga County to support Jim Dvorak for re-election as Geauga County Commissioner in the May 5 primary.
Dianne Kellogg
Claridon Township
GOP Voters Deserve Better
Auditor Walder and his employee, Kate Jacob, have pulled the most dishonest, reprehensible stunt I’ve seen in my 60 years as a Geauga County resident. They have perpetrated a fraud upon Republican voters in our county.
I just received their election-related mailer wherein they obviously and intentionally misrepresented themselves as having been endorsed by the Geauga County Republican Party. They most certainly have not been.
Their names and photos appear immediately underneath the bogus statement, “Our Endorsed Republicans for Geauga County Republican Voters.” If this conduct is not a violation of Ohio Election Law, then the law needs to be amended to allow for prosecution of perpetrators such as these.
Jacob and Walder’s actions speak volumes about their character, integrity and fitness for office.
Kevin Keough
Burton
Geauga County Probate/Juvenile Judge Race
Abbey King Mueller is running for Probate/Juvenile Court Judge in the May 5 Republican Primary. She is the only candidate with judicial experience.
She received her B.A. in social work to help families and, in particular, children. Seeing that she needed a law degree to be more effective, she became an attorney. She has served admirably as Magistrate of the Geauga County Probate/Juvenile Court for eight years.
Ask any CASA volunteer about her compassion, yet firm hand. Abbey King Mueller has been formally trained and has the practical hands-on experience to serve as the Geauga County Probate/Juvenile Court Judge.
The other candidates claim “experience” in their advertisements but have none related to the position they are seeking. This judgeship determines the lives and well-being of Geauga County families and children.
One candidate has not practiced law for the required six years and therefore shouldn’t be able to run according to Ohio law. She is part of the Geauga County “Good Old Boy” network, having a longstanding county job (not related to any court) and now her hat is in the ring.
The other candidate is a lifelong Democrat who changed parties to run as a Republican in Geauga County. She has no judicial experience.
Abbey King Mueller has practiced law for 14 years and has eight years of experience as Magistrate of the Geauga County Probate/Juvenile Court.
Elect Mueller for the good of families and children in Geauga County — Buck the machine!
Vote for Abbey King Mueller!’
Steven W. King
Chagrin Falls
Kate Jacob will Give Geauga Park Meetings a Voice
Hey Geauga folks! Do you value the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution? Freedom of speech? Well, in my view, it seems one of the Republican candidates for probate judge may feel particularly strong about that.
We will have a new probate judge next year and that judge will appoint our Geauga park commissioners who set park policy.
The existing park commissioners refuse to allow public comment/questions at their public meetings. Of the 72 similar park districts in Ohio, only two do not allow public comment/questions at their commissioners’ meetings. Our Geauga park commissioners are one of those two “muzzlers.”
Kate Jacob thinks that’s terrible policy and feels citizens should have a voice at said meetings. She will appoint park commissioners who value the spirit of the First Amendment and will keep that in mind regarding public participation.
Mrs. King Mueller’s newspaper ad says she will “defend the Constitution.” Funny with that statement you would think she would be for commissioners who would be open to public participation at their meetings considering the spirit of the Constitution.
In briefly talking with her, she seems generally happy with the existing Grendell appointees who see no problem with muzzling the public at their commissioners’ meetings. Likely she will appoint more of the same. I’ve tried to call her three or four times with no call returns.
Kate Jacob has an especially strong conviction that all park commissioners next year value and keep the First Amendment in mind and won’t silence the public at their meetings.
Mrs. Jacob also has a long history of interest in public parks, natural values and has actively supported parks in the past.
I’ll be voting for Kate Jacob on May 5. Hope you will, too.
John G. Augustine
Parkman Township
