ASHLAND — A local attorney and assistant law director for the City of Ashland threw his hat in the ring Wednesday to become the county’s next Common Pleas judge.
David Stimpert, 39, said his roots in the community sets him apart from Victor Perez, who announced his bid a week ago.
“I grew up in this area and I’ve worked in (the City of Ashland) for my entire career,” Stimpert said. “I also have a pretty wide range when it comes to practicing law.”
Both Stimpert and Perez are registered Republicans, so they will appear on the May primary ballots. The term for judge does not begin until February 2023.
The candidates’ announcements come after Common Pleas Judge Ron Forsthoefel said he would not run for a third term on June 25. Forsthoefel has said he is tired of the politics that come with the job, and so he will retire at the end of his term and serve as a visiting judge in courthouses around Ohio.
Stimpert has operated his own law firm, on Ashland’s Main Street, since 2008.
He began working under Ashland City Law Director Richard Wolfe in 2012 and in 2014 assumed the lead in criminal prosecution duties for the city.
Stimpert graduated from Crestview High School in 1999 and earned a science degree from Ashland University in 2003. He then graduated from the University of Akron School of Law in 2006.
“I have a dedication to this community,” he said. Stimpert lives in Clear Creek Township with his wife, Allison, and their four children.
Stimpert touts having prosecuted over 9,000 criminal and traffic cases in Ashland County. He is a current member of the Ohio Bar Association and a current member and past president of the Ashland County Bar Association.
He currently serves as a board member on the Crestview Educational Foundation Board of Trustees and the Mount Oliver Cemetery Association.
He is currently a member of Faith United Methodist Church, Ashland YMCA, Ashland Elks #1360, the National Rifle Association as a lifetime member and the Ashland Farm Bureau.
In a news release, Stimpert listed local charitable boards and organizations he has belonged to:
• Past chairman of the Salvation Army of Ashland, Ohio Advisory Board
• Past chairman of the Nuhop Center for Experiential Learning Board of Trustees
• Past president of the Ashland County Law Library Association
• Past member of the Ashland YMCA board
• Past member of the Ashland County Board of Developmental Disabilities
