Elect Maureen E. Stoneman for Judge

10/23/2026

I attended the Carroll County Township Association fall banquet yesterday evening down at the FFA Camp. It was so nice to see so many familiar faces and celebrate the work being done by our local townships.
Vote Stoneman November 3rd!

10/20/2026

Election Day is 2 weeks away. While I have greatly enjoyed spending the summer and fall attending community events throughout the County and have had an incredible time connecting with so many of you, I will be glad when this Election is over. I don’t think I’m alone in being glad that attack ads will come to an end and I can turn on my television without being bombarded with negativity and hatred.
Politics has become an ugly beast. I think that powerful people retain power by turning people against each other. By dividing us. By making everyone hate or be afraid of everyone who thinks differently from them. By making us focus on our differences instead of how much we have in common.
My motives for running for Judge as a non-partisan have been questioned in recent days (questioned, by the way, by people who have never had a conversation with me, let alone a conversation with me about my political beliefs). Again, I’m running as a non-partisan because I strongly believe judges should be non-partisan and not beholden to any political bias or agenda. I’m running as a non-partisan because I don’t identify with any political party. I’m running as a non-partisan because I hate what politics has become—the divisiveness, the ugliness, the mud-slinging, the fear-mongering. I’m not a “coward” or a “flip flopper” or any of the other names I’ve been called this past week. I’m someone who has watched politics change in her lifetime and doesn’t identify or want any part of what it has become.
The people who posted these attacks on me are proving my point exactly. I don’t fit into their box or their agenda and, therefore, they must attack me and question my motives. As Judge I won’t be beholden to anyone’s political agendas. I won’t contort myself to fit into anyone’s box. I will think for myself and fairly apply the law.
You want to know what I stand for and who I am? Read through the 42 posts I’ve made this campaign on this page where I tell you exactly who I am and exactly what I stand for.
I wasn’t going to respond to these attacks at all. As one of my very wise parents put it, “the more you stir it, the more it stinks.” But when someone calls me a coward, I feel I have to respond. I actually think running for office and putting yourself out there for public consumption and criticism is incredibly brave. I think running as a non-partisan without the backing of any major political party because you don’t fit into any current political category is incredibly brave. And I think standing up to people who have never had a conversation with me, but feel qualified to comment on my beliefs is incredibly brave.
I anticipate that this post will result in additional attacks, but this will be my only post in response to these attacks. My campaign has always been and will continue to be based on my qualifications and my passion for public service, and spending any more time responding to baseless attacks takes away from my campaign, distracts me from the ultimate goal, and drags me down into the mud.
My true motives for running for Judge? I want to be a public servant. I want to use my God-given abilities for the greater good. I want to make this County a better place for my child and the rest of the children of this County. That’s my agenda. That’s it.
Vote Stoneman November 3.

10/11/2026

It was another busy week on the campaign trail. Last Saturday I helped serve breakfast at Loudon Township’s monthly breakfast. Thursday I had a Meet the Candidates Night at Lake Mohawk. And Saturday I spent time at the Algonquin Mill Festival serving pancakes with the Carrollton Civic Club. I so enjoy the opportunities to see and interact with so many of you throughout this campaign. Remember, early voting and absentee voting has started. Vote Stoneman November 3rd (or before)!

10/07/2026

Early voting for the November 3rd election begins today. If you’re afraid you won’t be able to make it to the polls on Election Day, then vote early. No matter what precinct you live in in Carroll County, early voting occurs at the Carroll County Board of Elections Office, located at 211 Moody Ave., SW, Suite 107, Carrollton, Ohio 44615. Here are the hours the Board of Elections is open for early voting between now and November 3rd: https://www.boe.ohio.gov/carroll/election-info/early-voting-hours/.

And remember, Vote Stoneman!

CARROLL COUNTY Early Voting Hours

10/05/2026

Don’t forget that today is the last day to register to vote or update your voting information for the November 3rd election! You have until 9:00 p.m. today to do that either at the Board of Elections Office or online here: https://olvr.ohiosos.gov. Vote Stoneman November 3!

The site is secure. The https:// ensures you're connecting to the official website and any information you provide is encrypted and cannot be seen by anyone else.

09/30/2026

If you are NOT registered to vote OR if your name or address has changed since the last time you voted, your deadline for registering to vote or updating your voter information for the November 3rd election is this Monday, OCTOBER 5, 2026 at 9:00 p.m.
If you need to register to vote, you can do so online here: https://olvr.ohiosos.gov. You can also register in-person at the Carroll County Board of Elections, 211 Moody Ave. SW, Suite 107, Carrollton. (Note the Board of Elections’ location has changed since the last election and is no longer located in the Courthouse). The Board of Elections will stay open until 9:00 p.m. on Monday.
If you need to update your voter information (your name or address), you can do so online here: https://olvr.ohiosos.gov or in person at the Board of Elections.
If you are unsure whether you’re registered to vote, you can check your voter registration status here: https://lookup.boe.ohio.gov/vtrapp/carroll/vtrlookup.aspx.
Don’t wait until October 5th to register or update your information. Do it ASAP in case there are any hiccups.
And remember, Vote Stoneman!

The site is secure. The https:// ensures you're connecting to the official website and any information you provide is encrypted and cannot be seen by anyone else.

09/28/2026

I am currently in the midst of a series of posts where I discuss a little more about who I am and the experiences in my life that have led me to run for Judge. The previous three weeks I have discussed my education/clerking experience, my law practice in Carroll County, and my Guardian ad Litem work. This week I’ll be discussing the experience that has had the biggest impact on my life—becoming a mother.
Becoming a parent has changed everything about me. My perspective, my priorities, and my outlook on life. It has made me more patient, more compassionate, more efficient, more driven. It has taught me countless lessons. It has created in me a deep desire to do what I can to change this world for the better so that my child grows up in a world better than the one I did.
Before you become a parent you think “when I’m a parent, I’ll do X” or “when I’m a parent I’ll never let my kid do Y” and then you become a parent and you are humbled. You realize that your child is uniquely herself and that everything you thought you were going to do goes right out the window because you’re not parenting a robot, but rather a child who is born with his or her unique personality. And you find that your child isn’t about to adapt his or her personality to your preferred parenting style, but rather you have to adapt your parenting style to the child you have.
These lessons I’ve learned as a parent I believe will serve me well as Judge. This week-on/week-off parenting schedule might work really well for child A, but it doesn’t work at all for child B. This term of probation might serve as a great deterrent for child Y, but as no effect on child Z. Understanding children, child development, and what is typical versus atypical for a child is vital in a Judge who oversees the Juvenile Court.
I think most parents can relate to the notion that the news became harder to stomach, especially news stories about children being harmed, when you become a parent. I think, as a parent, when you hear a news story involving a child, you can’t help but picture the harm occurring to your own child. I have had people ask me why, especially as a parent, I would want to be a Judge in this Court when this Court, at times, deals with horrific cases where children were harmed. But I want to help protect children. I want to hold people who harm children accountable for their actions.
Becoming a mom has only solidified for me that we need judges, particularly judges in juvenile court, who know children. Judges who understand the complexities of parenting, who understand child development, who understand that a one-size-fits-all approach does not work with children, and who are driven to make a positive impact and leave this world better than they found it.
Vote Stoneman November 3.

09/26/2026

These scarecrows say Vote Stoneman November 3! Come check them out on the square in Carrollton through October and don’t forget to vote November 3. (Special thanks for the help in constructing the scarecrows to Abbi, Violet, and Jennings).

09/24/2026

I am currently in the midst of a series of posts where I discuss a little more about who I am and the experiences in my life that have led me to run for Judge. The previous two weeks I discussed my education/clerking experience and my law practice in Carroll County. This week I’ll be discussing my work as a Guardian ad Litem.
A Guardian ad Litem (GAL) is someone appointed during custody cases by the Court to investigate the case and make recommendations to the Court as to what custody arrangement and other orders are in the best interest of the minor child or children. (GALs can be appointed in other types of cases, too, but the bulk of my experience serving as a GAL are in custody cases so that is what this post will focus on).
GALs are certified by the Ohio Supreme Court. They must go through initial training and then continuing legal education every year to keep their certification current and up to date. I have been a GAL certified in Ohio since 2014. Since that time I have served as a GAL in dozens of cases and have issued more than 100 reports. I am regularly appointed as a GAL in both the domestic relations division and the juvenile division of Carroll County Courts.
As a GAL I have earned a reputation of being thorough, fair, and decisive in my reports and recommendations. I strongly advocate for the best interest of the children I am appointed to serve and am not shy to call out bad behavior when I see it from parents. As a GAL I craft recommendations that are not one-size-fits-all but that are uniquely tailored to address the issues in front of me. I have learned as a GAL that what works for one child does not necessarily work for another.
My GAL experience has been vital in preparing me to be a Judge. My GAL experience has allowed me to take a similar role to that of Judge where I listen to both sides without bias or preconceived notions and make a recommendation based on the facts and evidence presented to me. My GAL work has challenged me and made me into a better attorney. I strongly believe it will also make me a better Judge.
Vote Stoneman November 3!

09/20/2026

We spent the day at Lake Mohawk’s Fall Fest. The weather didn’t cooperate, but it was still nice to see those who did come out. (Violet, as always, had a ball.) Vote Stoneman November 3!