Only three judicial candidates are being “highly recommended” by the Lake County Bar Association as the candidates head for the May 4 primary ballot.

Among those winning the Bar Association endorsement, with an 85 percent-plus rating, was Lake County Common Pleas Court Judge Eugene A. Lucci, a Republican running for the bench of 11th District Court of Appeals Judge Colleen Mary O’Toole, who’s also a Republican.

O’Toole received a “not recommended” rating because she got a favorable vote of less than 50 percent.

That is, Lucci got 130 of 137 total votes, or a 94.8 percent favorable rating. Of 112 total votes cast on O’Toole, she got 35 favorable votes, or 31.2 percent, from attorneys.

Both Lucci and O’Toole reside in Lake County.

Democrats Neil Wilson, of Lake County, and Thomas R. Wright, of Trumbull County, also are running for the O’Toole bench.

Of 112 votes cast on Wilson’s candidacy, he got 35, or a 31.2 percent favorable rating. Wilson got a “not recommended” rating because he also got a favorable vote of less than 50 percent.

Wright got less than 50 percent yes or no votes, and thus no rating.

Other ratings were:

* 11th Appellate Judge Mary Jane Trapp, a Geauga County Democrat, is running for the bench of Supreme Court Justice Judith Ann Lanzinger, a Republican. Each got highly recommended ratings.

Of 130 votes cast on Trapp’s candidacy, she got 126 votes, or a 96.9 percent rating. Of 103 votes cast on Lanzinger’s candidacy, she got 91, or an 88.3 percent rating.

* Supreme Court Justice Maureen O’Connor, a Republican, running for the chief justice’s bench, got 101 affirmative votes out of 120 votes cast. That gave her an 84.1 percent favorable rating.

Franklin County Probate Court Judge Eric Brown, a Democrat, also is running for chief justice. He got less than 50 percent yes or no votes, and thus no rating.