Voters chose Democrat Connie Pillich to lead the Hamilton County Prosecutor's Office.
Pillich won about 51% of the vote. Her election breaks a 92-year win streak for Republicans, who have held the prosecutor's office since 1932. It also marks the first time voters have elected a woman to the office.
Pillich is an Air Force veteran, former public defender, and former Ohio State representative.
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She has said the prosecutor's office needs modernization and more intensive focus on ethics. She pointed to overturned convictions and use of questionable deals with informants in criminal trials in Hamilton County as evidence that the prosecutor's office needs an internal ethics department. She also advocated for more programs to prevent crime and recidivism.
"I want to be very, very clear," Pillich said during an election event Tuesday night. "I'm going to pledge to every person living in this county that I'm going to do everything I can to deliver justice with integrity and to keep us safe. I want to be held accountable to that."
Current Prosecutor Melissa Powers, a Republican, has held the seat since she was appointed by the Hamilton County GOP to fill out the term of former Prosecutor Joe Deters last year. Deters, a Republican, was appointed to the Ohio Supreme Court.
On the campaign trail, Powers criticized Pillich's lack of courtroom experience compared to her own three-decade legal career.
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Prior to her time as prosecutor, Powers was Hamilton County Juvenile Court Judge. She didn't seek re-election in 2022, capping off a 16-year career as a judge in Hamilton County, both in the juvenile and municipal courts. Before that, she was an assistant prosecutor.
"It has been an honor serving as your Hamilton County Prosecutor these past two years," Powers said after the election. "While we came up a bit short, I am committed to a smooth and orderly transition, and I look forward to working with our next prosecutor, Connie Pillich, to ensure that our community continues to be well served."