Career
Rulli was first elected to the Ohio Senate in 2018,defeating incumbent Ohio House of Representatives member and former U.S. representative John Boccieri. Prior to that contest,Rulli's only other political experience was as a School Board member for the Leetonia Exempted Village School District in Columbiana County,Ohio. [9] Rulli was re-elected in 2022,defeating former Ohio House and Ohio Senate member Bob Hagan.
Ohio Senate
In 2019,Rulli was one of 12 Senators to vote against HB 6, [10] the legislation at the center of one of the nation's largest corruption scandals.
During the COVID-19 pandemic,Rulli championed legislation to prevent municipalities from banning the use of plastic grocery bags. The House version of Rulli's legislation,HB 242 was signed into law by Governor Mike DeWine in October 2020. [11] [12]
In January 2024,Rulli voted to override Governor DeWine's veto of HB 68,a bill banning gender-affirming care for minors and prohibiting transgender athletes from participating in girls' and women's sports. [13]
Hiring of Mike Peppel
In January 2025,Rulli hired Mike Peppel as his communications director. Peppel had previously served as Rulli's senior legislative aide from January 2019 to March 2023. Prior to working for Rulli,Peppel worked for former Republican Congressman Bill Johnson,serving as political director for Johnson's campaign and as his office's community outreach representative. [18]
In 2023,Peppel founded the Ohio Clean Water Fund (OCWF),which was the subject of a seven-count civil lawsuit filed by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost. The lawsuit alleged that OCWF was a "sham charity" that falsely claimed to be raising money for those impacted by the East Palestine train derailment,misrepresenting its use of funds. [18] While Peppel disputed the allegations,he ultimately settled the lawsuit. The settlement resolved all claims against Peppel,avoiding protracted litigation. [19]
Rulli,in a prepared statement,affirmed his support for Peppel,citing his experience and dedication to the region. [20]
Personal life
Rulli resides in Salem,Ohio,with his wife Kelly and their two children. [22]
On November 28,2022,Rulli fired a handgun at two teenagers he believed were trespassing on his property. Later,his wife,Kelly Rulli,fired shots at one of the teenagers and his family members who had returned to retrieve hunting equipment. While Rulli claims he fired warning shots into the ground from a distance of approximately 15 yards,the teenager maintains he was much farther away on his uncle's land and that the shots were fired directly at him. A special prosecutor's investigation,which found no physical evidence (such as shell casings or bullets),concluded that the Rullis' actions were reasonable under the circumstances and declined to press charges against either party,though it did determine the teenagers were trespassing. The incident remains disputed,with conflicting accounts of the events. [23]
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