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Judge Rohde files to run again

Thursday, January 8, 2026 at 5:30 PM

Judge Rohde-Courtesy of Vote Jon Rohde

COLUMBUS, Ind. - Jonathan (Jon) L. Rohde, 47, current Judge of the Bartholomew Superior Court 2 and former Chief of Police for the Columbus Police Department, has officially filed for re-election, seeking the Republican nomination for the Judge position he currently holds.   

COLUMBUS, Ind. - Jonathan (Jon) L. Rohde, 47, current Judge of the Bartholomew Superior Court 2 and former Chief of Police for the Columbus Police Department, has officially filed for re-election, seeking the Republican nomination for the Judge position he currently holds.   

Rohde was first elected to the bench in 2020. Before beginning his first term, Judge Rohde retired from the Columbus Police Department, where he served as Chief of Police for almost six years.

“I have dedicated my career to making Bartholomew County a safe place to live and raise a family. Every role in my career has shaped my service and strengthened my vision to balance accountability for bad actions with motivating people to become productive citizens within our community," said Rohde.

He continued, "As a judge, I was pleased to see the results of two recent studies, one rating Columbus as the safest city in Indiana, and the other rating Columbus as the safest small city in America.”   

His media release announcing his candidacy stated that Rohde's efforts have further benefited Bartholomew County. Early in his first term, Rohde reduced the operating costs for Superior Court 2 by eliminating staff positions through attrition. Rohde also implemented efficiencies to reduce the amount of time it takes for litigants to get their day in court.

Most recently, Judge Rohde established a civil mental health court, at no cost to local taxpayers, that aims to reduce those who suffer from a severe mental health diagnosis from having repeat interactions with medical facilities and law enforcement, alleviate the strain on inpatient services, and enhance community safety by addressing mental health crises before they lead to criminal activity.

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