YOUNGSTOWN — Races for judicial seats on the Mahoning County Common Pleas Court are starting to come into focus with the Feb. 4 filing deadline closing in.

Three general division seats as well as domestic relations and probate judge posts are up for grabs in next year’s election.

Those wanting to run in the May 5 partisan political party deadline must file by Feb. 4 while those who seek the positions as independents have until May 4, the day before the primary, to submit nominating petitions.

In Ohio, common pleas court judges can run in partisan primaries or as independents and then all run without party affiliation on the November general election ballot. But political parties — and typically candidates — make efforts to identify party affiliation during the general election.

In the general division, Republican R. Scott Krichbaum, the court’s most-senior judge first elected in 1990, cannot run for reelection because of the state’s age-limit law on judges. Republican Maureen Sweeney, who has served since 2004, is up for reelection in 2026 and plans to seek another six-year term while Democrat John M. Durkin, first elected in 1996, has decided to not run for another term.

Republican Anissa Modarelli, the assistant county prosecutor in Durkin’s court, filed to run for Durkin’s seat.

Republican Ralph Rivera, also an assistant county prosecutor, has decided to seek the same seat, said Tom McCabe, chairman of the Mahoning Republican Party’s executive committee.

Democrat J. Michael Thompson said he will file for Durkin’s seat. Thompson is a former assistant county prosecutor who serves as a partner in the Youngstown law firm of Henderson, Covington, Messenger, Newman & Thomas. He also serves as president of Poland Village Council.

Thompson said: “I have spent my entire career as a courtroom advocate and a dedicated public servant, and this broad and varied legal experience has prepared me well to continue this tradition of service on the common pleas bench.”

Republican Ross Smith, who has a law practice in Youngstown, is running for Krichbaum’s seat.

Democrat Mark D’Apolito is collecting signatures to run for the same seat. D’Apolito was hired in April 2023 as Austintown Township administrator. Before that, he spent five years as an assistant county prosecutor and previously worked three years as a Youngstown assistant law director.

Republican Edward Czopur is considering a run for the seat Krichbaum holds, McCabe said.

No Democrats have yet decided to challenge for Sweeney’s seat.

Leonard Hall, an assistant county prosecutor, was considering a bid for one of the common pleas general division judicial seats but has opted not to run.

Also on next year’s ballot is domestic relations court judge and probate court judge.

Incumbent Probate Judge Robert N. Rusu Jr. is serving his second six-year term, running both times as an independent. Rusu filed to run in 2026 as a Republican.

Mahoning County Democratic Chairman Chris Anderson said finding challengers for Rusu and Sweeney aren’t the top priorities for the party in next year’s election.

Democrat Beth A. Smith, first elected domestic relations court judge in 1996, cannot seek reelection next year because of state law. In Ohio, judicial candidates cannot run for office if they will be at least 70 years old when they are sworn in for their term.

Two Republicans — Kathleen Bartlett and Mark DeVicchio — already have filed nominating petitions with the board of elections to succeed Smith as domestic relations judge.

Bartlett spent 12 years as a domestic relations court magistrate and served on the 7th District Court of Appeals, appointed in March 2018 by former Gov. John Kasich, before losing the November 2018 election for a full term to Democrat David D’Apolito.

DeVicchio is a former domestic relations magistrate who now serves as director of the Betras and Kopp law firm’s domestic relations practice group.

Terry A. Grenga, who has a law practice in Canfield, is considering a run for domestic relations judge.

Joseph M. Messuri, who also has a practice in Canfield, had planned to seek the position, but opted not to run in 2026.