WARREN — The Trumbull County Board of Elections agreed to permit Shelley Pratt Sandberg to run for probate court judge without having to use her surname, Sandberg, on the ballot.

The board voted 3-0 Wednesday with member Marleah Campbell abstaining and not participating in the discussion since Pratt is running against her husband, Trumbull County Central District Court Judge Thomas A. Campbell, in the May 5 Republican primary.

The board had initially insisted the candidate use her full name on the ballot. But she asked for a reconsideration hearing, writing in the request letter, “I have used the name Shelley Pratt professionally since 1999. I am licensed to practice law as Shelley Pratt with the Supreme Court of Ohio, my OPERS (Ohio Public Employees Retirement System) is in the name Shelley Pratt and the name Shelley Pratt is on the courthouse wall outside of my office (as a magistrate). I have never used the name Sandberg professionally. The name is only used for school purposes to prevent confusion with my children.”

She added, “The Supreme Court of Ohio has recognized that a person may adopt any name they choose as long as this name is not used for fraudulent purposes.”

Mark Alberini, the elections board chairman, said Pratt had “no intent to defraud, no intent to mislead.”

There is election law about the full legal name required for filling out a declaration of candidacy, and she complied, Alberini said. But there is no law that addresses the candidate wanting to drop Sandberg when appearing on the ballot, he said.

“We were in unchartered territory, and we did what we thought was right” by overturning the initial decision and letting her drop Sandberg,” Alberini said. “Is there any attempt to defraud by using Shelley Pratt? We decided there wasn’t.”

Pratt said, “I’m very happy I’m allowed to use my name. I thought their initial decision was wrong. The current decision is the right one. It’s the name I’ve practiced law under since 1999, and my friends and colleagues know me as Shelley Pratt.”

Pratt unsuccessfully ran in the 2024 Republican primary for a seat on the 11th District Court of Appeals using the name Shelley Pratt. That decision was made by the Lake County Board of Elections, as that is where candidates for that court file nominating petitions because Lake is the district’s most populous county.

No Democrat filed for the Trumbull probate court race. Probate Judge James A. Fredericka, a Democrat, cannot run for reelection this year because of the state’s age-limit law on judicial candidates.

If an independent doesn’t file by the May 4 deadline, the winner of the Republican primary would be the next probate court judge.