Columbus councilmember wins Franklin County prosecutor race

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – A Columbus City Council member is adding a new job to her resume: Franklin County’s top lawyer.

According to unofficial election results, Democrat Columbus councilmember Shayla Favor is leading Republican attorney John Rutan in the race for Franklin County Prosecutor. With 100% of precincts reporting, Favor is leading Rutan 63% to 37%.

Favor has never prosecuted a felony criminal case in her career, but worked in the Columbus City Attorney’s office as a legal investigator before moving to assistant city attorney, overseeing zoning, health, fire, and building code violation cases.

In addition to her career at the Columbus City Attorney’s office, Favor has been a Columbus City Council member since 2019, replacing former council member Jaiza Page, who was elected to the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas. 

Favor, who beat Natalia Harris and Anthony Pierson in March’s primary, writes on her campaign website that she ran “to support our community in becoming a model county that addresses public safety while also working to reform an unjust, inequitable system.” 

Among her goals as Franklin County prosecutor, Favor said she will implement “evidence-based programs” to hold violent offenders accountable, minimize “unnecessary incarceration” for low-level offenders, reduce recidivism and direct those in need of treatment to the proper resources.

Favor appears set to replace Democrat Gary Tyack, who defeated longtime Republican prosecutor Ron O'Brien in 2020; O'Brien was first elected to the post in 1996. Tyack chose to not seek reelection this year.