ST. CLAIRSVILLE — Attorney Mike McCormick announced his candidacy for election as a judge of the general division of the Belmont County Common Pleas Court. The judicial seat of Judge John Vavra will become vacant on December 31, 2026.

McCormick has practiced law in Belmont County for 36 years with the St. Clairsville firm of Hanlon, McCormick, Schramm, Bickford & Schramm, Co., LPA. He is a graduate of Union Local High School, Malone University and the Ohio Northern University Claude W. Pettit College of Law. McCormick has spent his career in general practice serving primarily local individuals, families and businesses.

“Experience matters, but so does understanding the people the court serves,” McCormick said. “I grew up here with my three brothers working on a sawmill learning the value of honesty, hard work, teamwork and responsibility from the best dad and uncle and those life lessons have stayed with me throughout my career. Persistence and patience in adversity were my examples.”

McCormick said he is also guided by the examples of former Judge Frank Fregiato and current judges John Vavra and Chris Berhalter, particularly by their commitment to public service and programs such as Drug Court.

“I have seen firsthand how fair and thoughtful decision-making, coupled with compassion, can make a real difference in people’s lives,” he said.

In addition to his private practice, McCormick serves by appointment of the Supreme Court of Ohio on the Board of Commissioners on Character and Fitness, representing the Seventh Appellate District. The board’s essential function is to oversee the character and fitness review process for every applicant for admission to the practice of law in Ohio.

“It has been a tremendous experience being an integral part of the bar admissions decision process,” McCormick said.

Since 1988, McCormick has been a member of the Union Local (formerly Bethesda-Belmont-Morristown) Rotary Club and is its current secretary and president-elect. He is a member of the Bethesda Farmers and Sportsmen Club, the Belmont County Unit of the NAACP and a life-member of the National Rifle Association. He is a past board member of the Underground Railroad Museum and a past advisory board member of Zion Foundation.

McCormick lives in Bethesda with his wife of 34 years, Marsha. If elected, he believes he will be the first common pleas court judge to reside in western Belmont County.

His campaign for election will begin at the earliest time the law allows, after his declaration for candidacy is certified by the Belmont County Board of Elections.

“I would be honored to serve Belmont County as a future judge,” McCormick said. “If elected, I will strive to act with fairness, humility and compassion, guided by the rule of law, faith, and a deep regard for the responsibility of the court. Every litigant is due recognition and respect. Every case deserves careful and objective consideration.”