The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Attorney declares candidacy for Municipal Court judge
An Elyria attorney is gearing up to run for Elyria Municipal Court judge.
Paul St. Marie, 62, will run as a Democrat for the bench previously occupied by Elyria Municipal Court Judge Lisa A. Lock Graves until her retirement in January.
Municipal Court Judge Robert C. White, of LaGrange, was appointed by Ohio Gov. John Kasich to fill the spot. He took office Feb. 6.
White, a Republican, is required to run in the 2019 election to complete Lock Graves’ term which ends Jan. 1, 2022.
Paul Adams, director of the Lorain County Board of Elections, said if no other Democrats declare their candidacy in the race, St. Marie will appear on the November 2019 general election ballot. If a Democrat runs against St. Marie, the race will have a primary in May 2019, Adams said.
St. Marie announced his candidacy during a Dec. 1 event at The Foundry Kitchen and Bar, 525 Broad St. in Elyria, which drew about 100 supporters including community leaders, lawyers, judges and other elected officials, according to a news release.
In a Dec. 3 phone call with The Morning Journal, St. Marie said he had not filed the required paperwork with the Lorain County Board of Elections, but intended to by the end of the week.
St. Marie said he has hoped to run for the position since he began practicing law 36 years ago.
“I began practicing at Elyria Municipal Court as an assistant prosecutor for the city of Elyria, so it really has been on my mind throughout my entire career,” he said. “I think that now the time is right and the opportunity is there, so I want to seize it if at all possible.”
Elyria attorney Matthew Mishak is managing St. Marie’s campaign, and St. Marie said the high attendance of his announcement party shows a strong interest in the
“We had many, many people who’ve shown an interest in helping out and they were very enthusiastic.”
— Paul St. Marie
campaign.
“We had many, many people who’ve shown an interest in helping out and they were very enthusiastic,” he said. “So, we’re gearing up to contact as many as possible to get this organized.”
The slogan for the campaign is: “The right experience at the right time,” and St. Marie said he believes he has the right experience for this specific time in the city’s history.
“I think I have the right experience to do this job, and I think this is the appropriate time to do it,” he said.
St. Marie is the first to publicly announce his interest in the seat.
The Lorain County Board of Election website indicates candidates are required to file paperwork to declare their candidacy by Feb. 6.