In November 2026, Ohioans will have an opportunity to go to the polls and select Ohio’s next attorney general. The attorney general is the chief legal officer of the state, whose principal duties include giving legal advice to the state government and representing the state and state agencies in legal matters. In addition, the decisions of the attorney general affect the daily lives of Ohio citizens because of the office’s involvement in consumer protection, civil rights, criminal investigations and a myriad of other areas vital to Ohio’s citizens. That is why it is important that Ohioans elect a person to this office with a diverse background in the law and a deep understanding of and concern for every citizen.
Columbus lawyer John J. Kulewicz (pronounced “Cool-uh-wits”) has thrown his hat into the Democratic primary to be held next May to take on the task of being Ohio’s top lawyer.
A native of Ohio and a graduate of The Ohio State University and Yale law school, Kulewicz has practiced law for the last 44 years at a prominent and well-respected law firm in Columbus. He currently serves as a member of the city council of Upper Arlington, a suburb of Columbus.
From 1982 to 2016 he served on the boards of the Columbus Zoo and was instrumental in getting a levy on the ballot that was adopted by voters. The levy helps sustain and enhance the facility; care for the animals and make the Columbus Zoo one of the nation’s premier facilities for care and preservation of wild animals.
He tells the story of his life and his lineage in a recently published autobiography entitled An Ohioan’s Odyssey – Lessons in Leadership, Law and Public Service (Gibraltar Publishing Company LLC, Columbus Ohio, 2025).
Kulewisz’s story is that of a grandchild of immigrant grandparents from Eastern Europe who came to this country, worked hard and realized the American dream of getting a job, buying a home and educating their children. His is the story of the descendants of those who came to this country and not only became citizens but also fought in the two great wars to preserve democracy.
In an era when immigrants are denigrated and castigated, it was a pleasure to reflect on the lives of Kulewicz’s ancestors and their contribution to America.
The young Kulewicz, who grew up with a Catholic education, did many of the things that lots of young Americans do. He sold newspapers and worked part-time jobs to defray the cost of his parochial education. Thanks to a scholarship, he was able to attend The Ohio State University and become involved in student government. He excelled as a student at Yale Law School, earning a coveted position on the staff of the Yale Law Journal. He also worked as a law clerk for a Federal Appeals Court Judge. One summer he worked in New York City, but his experience in the “Big Apple” showed him that his heart was in Ohio.
After law school, he sold his only asset—his car—and took off on a four-month journey to Africa where he travelled from Cairo to Cape Town on a meager budget, all the while learning of the people and their traditions and exposing him to a world far different from middle Ohio.
Over the course of his lifetime of travels for both business and pleasure, he was able to pick up language skills in Japanese, French and Russian, sufficient to carry on a conversation—not an easy task.
So now, after engaging in the practice of civil law, arguing several criminal appeals on a pro bono basis before appeals courts and arguing and winning a key case before the United States Supreme Court that affected the health care benefits of millions of people across the country, one wonders why he would seek a public office.
Throughout his career Kulewicz has dabbled in politics. He campaigned for former Governor John Gilligan, former governor Dick Celeste and was the state chairman for the 1984 Gary Hart presidential campaign.
As I reported earlier this year, currently Supreme Court associate justice Jennifer Brunner Democrat is the only statewide effected official in Ohio. From 1971 to 1995, Democrats were elected attorney general with such notable names as William J. Brown, Anthony J. Celebreeze Jr. and Lee Fisher. Democrats regained the office in 2007. Our last democratic attorney general was Richard Cordray who left office in 2011.
Kulewicz’s work is far different from Hillbilly Elegy that launched the political career of Ohio’s former senator and now vice president, J.D. Vance. It is readable and a classic American story of how hard work pays off.
For the prospective voter, Kulewicz’s autobiography demonstrates that if elected, he is up to the task. A lifetime swimmer, he already swam in every one of Ohio’s 88 counties, while meeting and getting to know the voters. As a demonstration of his physical fitness, he climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest peak. He swam across the Gibraltar Strait from Morocco to Spain and across the Columbia River from Washington State to Oregon. This endurance, willpower, and determination are what he would bring to the office of attorney general.
An Ohioan’s Odyssey is the story of one person’s formative years and career and how many people affected his life. I was impressed with the credit that he gave to mentors and other people who helped him along the way—something not always seen biographical works.
An Ohioan’s Odyssey will warm your heart and make you realize that there are good people who want to run for office for all the right reasons—a candidate who wants to serve Ohio and make it a better place.
C. Ellen Connally is a retired judge of the Cleveland Municipal Court. From 2010 to 2014 she served as the President of the Cuyahoga County Council. An avid reader and student of American history, she is a former member of the Board of the Ohio History Connection, and past president of the Cleveland Civil War Round Table, and is currently vice president of the Cuyahoga County Soldiers and Sailors Monument Commission. She holds degrees from BGSU, CSU and is all but dissertation for a PhD from the University of Akron.