YOUNGSTOWN — Columbiana Municipal Court Judge Katelyn Dickey of Lisbon won the Republican primary for Ohio’s 7th District Court of Appeals by beating former Ohio Supreme Court Justice and former 7th District Judge Mary DeGenaro of Poland.

Dickey received 72% of the vote compared to 28% for DeGenaro, according to incomplete and unofficial results from the Ohio Secretary of State website. Although all the statewide results were not in, Dickey’s margin of victory was large enough for her to claim victory.

The seat, which is being vacated at the end of the month by Democrat David D’Apolito as he becomes Canfield’s city manager, will be filled immediately by Dickey, as no one filed as a Democrat or independent for the position.

The court has jurisdiction over Mahoning, Columbiana, Belmont, Carroll, Harrison, Jefferson, Monroe and Noble counties.

Dickey held an overwhelming lead in all of those locations, taking 85% of the vote in her home county of Columbiana.

Dickey has presided over Columbiana Municipal Court since 2020 after serving as an assistant county prosecutor for a year. She graduated from Gannon University in Erie, Pa., in 2012, and immediately began a stint as magistrate and staff attorney at Columbiana Common Pleas Court, which ended when that court changed judges in 2018.

Dickey joins Judge Carol Ann Robb as the only member of the appeals panel with experience as a trial court judge. Robb also served both as municipal judge and county magistrate in Columbiana County before her election to the appeals court in 2014.

Dickey thanked the voters for their support, saying she was “deeply honored” by the trust they placed in her, noting that she met thousands in the past few months and will meet many in the months to come.

“I wish my opponent, Mary DeGenaro, all the best. She’s a good person and she ran an honorable campaign,” Dickey said in a statement. “As we move forward to the general election, I’m committed to being an appeals court judge who will support the Constitution and ensure justice for all.”

DeGenaro was not available for comment.

Have an interesting story? Contact the newsroom by email at news@vindy.com Follow us on X, formerly Twitter, @TribToday