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WARREN -- Eleventh District Court of Appeals Judge Cynthia Westcott Rice is looking to fill the seat of Trumbull County Common Pleas Court Judge Peter Kontos, who will retire at the end of the month before his term expires.
Republican Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine will appoint a successor -- likely a Republican -- to take Kontos' place until the Nov. 8 election, when candidates selected by the county Republican and Democratic parties will face off for the remainder of Kontos' unexpired term, through Dec. 31, 2026.
Rice is the first Democrat to announce her interest in the seat. The county party is expected to meet in August to vote on who it will put forward for the election.
Rice has been the presiding judge of the 11th District Court of Appeals, which hears appellate cases in Ashtabula, Geauga, Lake, Portage and Trumbull counties, since 2003. She was re-elected to a six-year term in November 2020, defeating Sarah Kovoor, and the term expires in February 2027.
Before that, she worked in the United States Attorney's Office as a federal criminal prosecutor and from 1997 to 1999 was the first criminal assistant in the Trumbull County Prosecutor's Office -- a position that Kontos held before taking the bench in 1997.
Cynthia Rice is married to sitting Common Pleas Judge Ronald Rice. Together, they have three adult children.
In a statement, she said Trumbull County has been fortunate to have a judicial bench with experienced, qualified judges and that Kontos' retirement will leave a gap in the court.
"I hope to bring my courtroom experience as judge and prosecutor to the Common Pleas Court to ensure the continued protection of Trumbull County and its citizens," Rice said.
Republican David Engler of Weathersfield, who previously ran unsuccessfully for a seat on the 7th District Court of Appeals for Mahoning County Probate Court judge, also has said he is interested in seeking the seat. The county Republican Party had said it would discuss the seat at a meeting last week.
If Kontos, 68, had served the remainder of his term, he would not have been able to run again due to an age restriction that prevents the appointment or election of anyone age 70 or older at the time they assume office.