Michael DalSanto, 40, originally from Stow, started out as an attorney “hanging his own shingle,” meaning he took whatever cases he could get his hands on in Licking County. It was 2012, and according to DalSanto, the job market for attorneys fresh out of the bar was not good.
He built his rapport, and served in the Licking County Probate-Juvenile Court and the Licking County Municipal Court, among others, for eight years. He has been a guardian ad litem, an attorney designated by the court to protect the interests of children.
By 2020, DalSanto felt that he needed a change in his life, so he began teaching – coincidentally right at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
First he was a one-day substitute teacher, then a long-term substitute in a special needs classroom. After that, he taught second graders for three months.
“It was so far out of my comfort zone. But the relationships that you build with those kids and seeing it from that angle, it really changed my life,” DalSanto said.
DalSanto became an intervention specialist, and moved up all the way to teaching government at Watkins Memorial High School. Now he works as an attorney part time, and is the head of his teaching union, the Southwest Licking Education Association.
His experience as a school teacher these past six years has changed the way DalSanto thinks about democracy.
“I tell these kids that they’re citizens, they’re members of the society, they’re future voters, and they have rights, and they have responsibilities that go along with those rights, and our society is only as good as when you step up to do your part. And I felt like this race was going to be unopposed,” he said.
Teaching is behind his primary motivation to run for judge, in fact.
“I did not think that I could look my students in the face and tell them that they needed to step up as citizens if I was going to basically allow a countywide seat to go uncontested,” DalSanto said.
DalSanto considers himself to be the best candidate for the job because he is well-rounded in the skills needed to deal with juveniles.
“I think about juvenile court as being the inflection point and the spot where you can make a difference and turn things around. The easy decision that anyone can do is issue a detention order or send someone to DYS (Department of Youth Services). And when I say easy, I don’t mean emotionally easy. I mean that it takes a good judge to use the resources and really help the community,” DalSanto said.
On a radio broadcasted election forum hosted by WCLT and sponsored in part by The Reporting Project on Oct. 1, DalSanto accused his opponent Deborah Lang of being unqualified to be judge.
“Judge Lang never practiced a single day in Licking County Juvenile and Probate Court before she became its judge. She came to Newark from a law firm in Cleveland, and she was a domestic relations magistrate, and she ran for municipal court judge, which she had also not practiced in – that is very different work. I’m running for this seat because I believe I have the experience,” DalSanto said on the air.
DalSanto’s first judicial race was against Matthew George in the 2025 general election for Licking County Municipal Court Judge. He lost that race, but didn’t abandon his plans to support the community.
Additionally, he was concerned that the Assessment and Resource center established by Lang is currently closing on weekdays at 4:30 p.m., when it previously had been open until 9 p.m. on weekdays and open on the weekends. Lang has since said that the late hours were reduced because the center was not getting calls or walk-ins during those times. Lang also said that the center is always on call for emergency situations.
DalSanto also said that Lang had been “significantly late” for custody hearings on Jul. 13 and 15, and on Sep. 16. Lang said in response that there are many reasons for a hearing to not start on time, including that all parties need time to find agreement or to be sure that everyone is served with notice.
“As far as the fact that the docket didn’t start right on time a couple of times, I don’t doubt that that’s true, but that also doesn’t mean anything,” Lang said.
In one of DalSanto’s campaign Instagram posts, one of the comments say “looking spiffy Mr. Dalsandytoes.” DalSanto said that his students comment all over his page, and he does not endorse such comments.
“I feel like I’m prepared because we have great resources in this county. We have people that care, and if we have somebody in that position that understands the impacts in the decisions, is willing to put into work, is willing to be the one that shows up at 5 A.M. in the morning to put in that work and lead by example, I think that we can make major changes in terms of outcomes for our families,” he said.
Early voting began on Tuesday, Oct. 6, at the board of elections office at 20 S. 2nd Street in Newark. Early voting hours are from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 28 until Friday, Oct. 30; from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 31, and from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 1.
On Election Day, Nov. 3, polls will be open 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Eva Altizer writes for TheReportingProject.org, the nonprofit news organization of Denison University’s Journalism program, which is supported by generous donations from readers. Sign up for The Reporting Project newsletter here.