John J. Kulewicz, a Columbus attorney and Upper Arlington City Council member, is the Democratic nominee for Ohio attorney general on the Nov. 3 ballot. 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.

Candidate information

  • Party: Democratic
  • Office sought: Ohio attorney general
  • Election date: Nov. 3, 2026
  • Hometown: Columbus, Ohio
  • Education: Bachelor's degree in history, The Ohio State University (1976); juris doctor, Yale Law School (1979)
  • Campaign website: john4ohioag.com

Kulewicz grew up in Columbus, according to his campaign website. His parents and grandparents came from Martins Ferry and Cincinnati, according to the site. 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. 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 said he has served on the boards of the Columbus Zoo, Catholic Social Services, the Ohio Historical Society and the Ohio Bicentennial Commission. He said he served as president of the Columbus chapter of the Federal Bar Association. He also published a 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 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 group noted his involvement defending health care access in the 2022 U.S. Supreme Court case Marietta Memorial Hospital Employee Health Benefit Plan v. DaVita Inc.

Endorsements

The race is statewide, but the Hamilton County Democratic Party is among the organizations backing Kulewicz. According to BallotReady and endorsing organizations, he has received endorsements from:

  • Ohio Democrats
  • AFL-CIO
  • Hamilton County Democratic Party
  • Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio
  • Ohio Organizing Campaign
  • Wood County Democratic Party
  • Licking County Democrats
  • Delaware County Democrats

Editor's note: Kulewicz did not return the Montgomery-Blue Ash Courier's candidate questionnaire. This profile is based on public records, his campaign website and reporting by the Ohio Capital Journal.