Byrne seeks full term on Ohio 12th District appeals court

Judge Matthew Byrne, a Republican, is running for a full term on the Ohio Twelfth District Court of Appeals. The district includes Warren County, making the race directly relevant to Mason and Deerfield Township voters. The general election is Nov. 3, 2026.

Byrne has served as a judge on the Twelfth District Court of Appeals since 2021, according to BallotReady profile data. He is certified for the ballot. Before joining the bench, Byrne built a career in government service and private legal practice spanning nearly two decades.

Editor's note: Byrne has not returned the Mason-Deerfield Times candidate questionnaire. This profile is based on public records and does not reflect responses to our questions.

Candidate information

Party: Republican
Office sought: Ohio Appellate Court Judge, District 12 (Term Commencing 1/1)
Education: Bachelor's degree in international affairs, Xavier University (2003); juris doctor, Ohio State University Moritz College of Law (2007)
Law school honors: Symposium editor of the Ohio State Law Journal and winner of the Donald S. Teller Memorial Award for student writing contributing most significantly to the Ohio State Law Journal, according to the court's website

Experience and public service

Byrne began his career in federal government, according to BallotReady profile data. He worked as a staff assistant in the Office of Presidential Personnel at the White House in 2004. In 2005, he served as an honors law clerk in the Office of the General Counsel at the U.S. Department of the Treasury.

After earning his law degree in 2007, Byrne practiced as an associate attorney at Taft, Stettinius & Hollister from 2007 to 2010. He then joined Jackson Lewis P.C. as an associate attorney from 2010 to 2016 and continued there as of counsel from 2016 until his appointment to the bench in 2021.

Beyond his judicial role, Byrne has served as a member and chair of the Appellate Rules Committee at the Ohio Supreme Court Commission on the Rules of Practice and Procedure, according to the court's website. He has also served as a member of the Ohio Board of Commissioners on Character and Fitness.