By Rev. Donald L. Perryman, Ph.D.
The Truth Contributor
The time is always right to do what is right. – Martin Luther King, Jr.
The Attorney General contest may not be the headliner on the 2026 Ohio Gubernatorial election, but it is much more than a routine down-ballot race.
Extensive office turnover is expected with the term-limited Republican AG Dave Yost’s exit, signaling a likely ideological reset, a leadership and staff overhaul, and a potential significant shift in legal and policy outcomes.
The impact of a new Attorney General will be tangible—affecting consumer protection, healthcare, utilities and civil rights. Though often overlooked, this race carries outsized influence over how power is exercised and experienced across Ohio.
One of the names to know in this race is John Kulewicz, a Democratic candidate vying to become Ohio’s next AG. I caught up with Kulewicz, nicknamed J-Cool, to discuss his campaign.
Perryman: Please describe your life experiences for The Truth’s readers.
Kulewicz: I grew up in a postwar suburb of Columbus, Ohio, and had a good childhood. I attended St. Matthias Catholic School and later Columbus St. Francis DeSales High School. I had a newspaper route, which I used to make enough money to pay my high school tuition. I then earned a scholarship to The Ohio State University, where I studied American history before attending law school at Yale.
Perryman: Was your journey from Ohio State to Yale a direct transition?
Kulewicz: I went straight from college to Yale Law School, where I spent three years, followed by a year clerking for a federal judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. I spent about five months in Cape Town, then returned to Columbus and started working at Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease in January of 1981.
Perryman: What areas of law did the firm practice?
Kulewicz: We handled all areas of civil law, ranging from litigation—which I was involved in—to trusts and estates, employment law, taxation, environmental law, and more.
Perryman: How have your life experiences shaped your decision to run for Ohio Attorney General?
Kulewicz: I’ve wanted to be a lawyer since the third grade, and I got to practice for 44 years at the Vorys Firm in Columbus, which is an excellent law firm. I had some of the toughest clients and opposing counsel in the nation, but I learned to succeed and thrive in that environment. I love practicing law; I love what lawyers can do for people.
I wrapped up at the law firm at the end of December 2024 under our partnership policy, and talked the next week with the State Democratic Chair about running for Attorney General because I love the State of Ohio, I love being a lawyer and I thought it would be one possible way to be of use to the people of Ohio.
Perryman: Was there a specific case or incident of injustice that made you realize the Attorney General’s office would be a place to make a real impact?
Kulewicz: Yes. Over time, I handled several cases where clients needed help but couldn’t always afford it. Those experiences showed me the importance of a well-functioning court system, dedicated judges, and committed lawyers—and the need to maintain that across Ohio. As Attorney General, the office functions as the state’s largest law firm, with 1,400 employees and a $470 million budget, making it an ideal place to practice law the way Ohioans have a right to expect.
Perryman: Why does the role of the Attorney General matter more than ever today?
Kulewicz: Right now, Ohio is falling behind the rest of the nation—our economy ranks 45th, median income is just 88 percent of the national average, and 700,000 more people are projected to leave the state.
We need an Attorney General who will use the office to help Ohioans financially. That means fighting consumer fraud, wage theft and unlawful discrimination that block opportunity at home, in the community or at work and school. It means taking on antitrust violations that drive up prices, protecting against nursing home fraud and elder abuse and combating Medicaid provider fraud. These are the actions that make the economy work better for everyone, and as Attorney General, that would be my top priority.
Perryman: Can you share a story—real or hypothetical—of a time an Attorney General might need to take a stand, even if it’s politically risky or unpopular?
Kulewicz: The first two people I ever met who served as Attorney General taught me an important lesson. They were very different but said the same thing. The first was John W. Bricker, who had been governor and senator of Ohio in the 1930s and 40s and had served as Attorney General before that. I met him in college and asked what his favorite job had been. He said Attorney General, because all you do is go to the office and do the right thing.
A few years later, I met a young Bill Clinton, who had also served as Attorney General before becoming governor. I asked him how he enjoyed being governor, and he said he liked it, but he preferred being Attorney General—for the same reason: you just go to work every day and do the right thing.
That’s what the job requires. As Attorney General, you set aside extraneous factors, use your independent judgment about what’s best for Ohio, and act on it. When you do that, the system works as it should, and you can move forward with confidence. When outside pressures or distractions interfere, that’s when the job becomes complicated, and you stray from the path the Attorney General should follow.
Perryman: How would your office ensure that historically marginalized or underserved communities experience justice as protection and opportunity rather than exclusion or harm?
Kulewicz: First, I want to ensure our office reflects the people of Ohio. In every team I’ve built—at work, in school, even in swimming—I’ve sought out people different from me, who bring diverse strengths and perspectives. I’ve found that teams like that perform better and achieve more. Ohio has a proud history of protecting civil rights, and it’s essential to continue that work, recognizing that we are all created equal and that this state belongs to everyone.
Perryman: Lastly, you mentioned being a law school classmate of Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor of the Supreme Court. What was that experience like, and how did it shape your impression of law and influence your career?
Kulewicz: She is exactly the same today as she was in law school. She was a relentless worker who could outwork anyone. She’s very serious. She has a sense of humor, which doesn’t come out that often. Sotomayor comes from a tough background, having had to fight for every opportunity. That determination inspired everyone around her. You can see when she is up on the bench, she is a tough questioner. I was questioned by her at the Supreme Court of the United States; her questions were as tough as any other justice’s, even though we were classmates. She expects answers to her tough questions and doesn’t want people to evade them.
Sotomayor is firmly committed to equality and justice for all in the United States. I think history is going to regard her as one of the greatest justices of the Supreme Court.
Perryman: How does your experience of arguing before the Supreme Court connect to the everyday lives of Ohioans?
Kulewicz: The case I argued there in 2022 improved life for 157 million people who depend on employer group health plans. It was a highly technical case under the Medicare statute, but winning it made a real difference for millions of Americans. Being in the Supreme Court was incredible—the most demanding and intense court experience I’ve ever had—but the justices, no matter their views, are all focused on getting it right, asking tough questions to reach the truth.
It taught me that you must be prepared for just about anything; you want to keep coming back to your central focus, but you need to be able to respond to the judge’s questions. Before the argument, they put us in a room where you’re surrounded by books and portraits of famous Americans, and you cannot help but be there and just realize how much history has gone through the Supreme Court and how important the Supreme Court and all the courts are in our functioning as a society. It’s very important that we continue to show independence and show courage, especially now.
Perryman: Thank you for your time.
Contact Rev. Donald Perryman, PhD, at drdlperryman@centerofhopebaptist.org