Republican Party of Medina County appoints Commissioner Bill Hutson as a candidate for Court of Common Pleas judge

MEDINA — Medina County Commissioner Bill Hutson has been nominated by the Republican Party of Medina County as the Republican candidate for the November election to fill the vacant seat of judge for the Medina County Court of Common Pleas. This decision was made unanimously after several voting rounds by the RPMC's Central Committee, with more than 60 people in attendance voting. In addition to Hutson, Medina Municipal Clerk of Courts Joe Salzgeber and Medina Division Chief Assistant Prosecutor Scott Salisbury were up for nomination by the county's Republican Party. In the May primary election, Julie Schafer ran unopposed for the Republican nomination for the Medina County Court of Common Pleas position. On Friday, she withdrew her name as she was appointed to be the Medina County Court of Common Pleas, Domestic Relations Division, judge by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine. With a plan to nominate judges at a meeting on Sunday already, RPMC Executive Director Tom Weyand said the organization worked to find candidates, leading to Hutson's nomination. "Until I became more politically active when I became a commissioner, I never thought that I would really have the opportunity to run to be a judge," Hutson said. Before becoming a county commissioner, Hutson had been the law director for Westfield Center since 1997 and a practicing attorney since 1991. In addition, he was a former member of the Cloverleaf Board of Education. Hutson was elected to the Medina County Board of Commissioners in 2016 and reelected in the 2020 election. He said as he has spent time in a more public position, his interest in becoming a judge has grown. If Hutson wins in the November election, Weyand said that he will have to resign as a county commissioner before his inauguration. In the case that Hutson resigns, the RPMC's Central Committee will work to appoint a new county commissioner for the role. "This is an entirely new endeavor for me, both as a resident of Medina County and as a lawyer," Hutson said. "I am excited to serve the county in a different capacity as a judge as opposed to a county commissioner." Contact reporter Sara Crawford at (330) 721-4063 or scrawford@medina-gazette.com.