Columbus attorney John J. Kulewicz is running as the Democratic nominee for Ohio attorney general in the Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, general election. He faces Republican Keith Faber.
Kulewicz won the Democratic primary on May 5 with approximately 63% of the vote, defeating former state Rep. Elliot Forhan, according to the Ohio Capital Journal. The attorney general is the state's chief legal officer. The office handles consumer protection enforcement, public-records disputes and legal opinions that affect local governments including those in Warren County.
Candidate information
- Party: Democratic
- Office sought: Ohio Attorney General
- Election date: Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026
- Opponent: Keith Faber (Republican)
- Hometown: Columbus, Ohio
- Education: Bachelor's degree in history, The Ohio State University (1976); juris doctor, Yale Law School (1979)
Kulewicz grew up in Columbus, according to his campaign website. His parents and grandparents came from Martins Ferry and Cincinnati, according to the campaign. At Yale Law School, he was an editor of the Yale Law Journal, according to his campaign.
Experience and public service
Kulewicz clerked for the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit from 1979 to 1980, according to BallotReady. He then spent more than four decades as an associate and partner at the Columbus law firm Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease, from 1981 to 2024, according to BallotReady.
He has served on the Upper Arlington City Council since 2020, according to BallotReady. In his two campaigns for that seat, Kulewicz said he was the leading vote-getter both times. In his re-election effort, he said he won more votes than any Upper Arlington City Council candidate in a contested election since adoption of the city charter seven decades ago.
Kulewicz has also served on the boards of the Columbus Zoo, Catholic Social Services, the Ohio Historical Society and the Ohio Bicentennial Commission, according to his campaign. He served as president of the Columbus chapter of the Federal Bar Association, according to his campaign. He published the book "An Ohioan's Odyssey: Lessons in Leadership, Law, and Public Service," according to his campaign website.
On the issues
Consumer protection: Kulewicz said he plans to combat price-fixing monopolies and to take on predatory lending, price gouging, robocalls, Medicaid provider and nursing home fraud, and scam artists targeting vulnerable communities, according to the Ohio Capital Journal.
Reproductive rights: Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio endorsed Kulewicz, citing his commitment to upholding the Reproductive Freedom Amendment in the courts and ensuring access to health care. The endorsing organization noted Kulewicz's role defending health care access in the 2022 U.S. Supreme Court case Marietta Memorial Hospital Employee Health Benefit Plan v. DaVita Inc.
Endorsements
The following organizations have endorsed Kulewicz, according to BallotReady and Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio:
- Ohio Democrats
- AFL-CIO
- Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio
- Ohio Organizing Campaign
- Hamilton County Democratic Party
- Delaware County Democrats
- Licking County Democrats
- Wood County Democratic Party
Editor's note: Kulewicz did not return the Mason-Deerfield Times questionnaire. This profile is based on public records, his campaign website and published reporting.
