Melody Stewart, JD, PhD (GRS '08, social welfare), will become a member of the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections after winning 64% of the vote from the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party’s executive committee. She is expected to begin her term on March 5, following final approval from Secretary of State Frank LaRose.
Shortly after making history in 2018 as the first African American woman elected to the Ohio Supreme Court, Stewart spoke with Case Western Reserve’s Think magazine.
"The reason being a judge is meaningful to me is the impact that I have on people,” she said in 2019. “As a trial judge, you see the impact you're having—affecting one person at a time—and on a Supreme Court level, it's the broader view of being able to impact the law that affects everyone in the state."
After six years making a state-wide impact as a justice on the Ohio Supreme Court, Stewart’s term ended on Jan. 1, 2025. Now, she narrows her focus to Cuyahoga County, where she is charged with ensuring fair, accurate and transparent elections.