By Jim Siegel
Gannett News Service

COLUMBUS - Ohio Supreme Court candidates Tim Black and Maureen O'Connor traded barbs in a televised debate Tuesday over who has the better experience.

Mr. Black, a Democrat and Hamilton County municipal judge for nine years, hammered home repeatedly that he is, in fact, a judge. Six times he repeated a variation of the phrase, "The court needs judges, not politicians."

The comment was a repeated jab at Ms. O'Connor, who has spent the last three-plus years as Ohio's lieutenant governor and has run for seven offices in 15 years.

"In this race, the voters have a clear choice," Mr. Black said. "Tim Black is the experienced judge with a proven record for independence and integrity."

But Ms. O'Connor questioned Black's experience on a low-level court, and his independence, referring to his statement that this court seat is "labor's seat."

"I have never claimed an allegiance to any special interest group, which can not be said of my opponent," Ms. O'Connor said.

In a forum sponsored by the Ohio League of Women Voters and televised by the Ohio News Network, Republican Justice Evelyn Lundberg Stratton and her challenger, Democrat Cuyahoga County Judge Janet Burnside, offered insight into their background, but refrained from any serious confrontation.

The two races could make philosophical changes to the court, which often splits 4-3 on high-profile cases, including school funding, tort reform and workers' compensation.

The four candidates offered serious criticisms of the ads being run on their behalf by third-party organizations. The ads have tried to paint justices as supporters of doctors, workers or big business.

Ms. Stratton said she's been victim of "character assassination." Her opponent agreed.

"The people who support me have been sleazy and lying about Justice Stratton," Ms. Burnside said. "There are people who also say that `Janet Burnside will be on your side.' That's not so. It isn't my job to be on anyone's side."

Mr. Black said people should focus on ads run by the individual campaigns, adding that the media has criticized Ms. O'Connor's ad as misleading because she is wearing a judge's robe.

Ms. O'Connor criticized Mr. Black for going negative in his ad.

"I'm presuming he doesn't have enough in his record to fill 30 seconds, so he's attacking me," she said afterward.