John Eklund (Ohio politician)

John Eklund
Judge of the Ohio Court of Appeals
for the 11th district
Incumbent
Assumed office
July 1, 2021
Appointed byMike DeWine
Preceded byMatt Lynch
Member of the Ohio Senate
from the 18th district
In office
November 9, 2011 – December 31, 2020
Preceded byTim Grendell
Succeeded byJerry Cirino
Personal details
PartyRepublican
SpouseMeg
ResidenceMunson Township, Ohio
Alma materWashington and Lee University School of Law, Union College
ProfessionLawyer

John J. Eklund is a former Republican member of the Ohio Senate for the 18th district.[1] He was appointed in November 2011 to replace Tim Grendell, who was appointed as a judge in Geauga County.[2] The selection committee considered thirteen candidates for the appointment.[3] He is the Chairman of the Senate Criminal Justice Committee. Eklund then went on to win the 2012 election for a full-term, winning with 54.7% of the vote.[4] His district includes all of Portage County along with half of Lake County and most of Geauga County.

FirstEnergy scandal

Sen. John Eklund co-sponsored House Bill 6 (HB 6), later at the center of the FirstEnergy bribery scandal. See Ohio nuclear bribery scandal.

According to campaign finance records, Eklund received $3,500 from the FirstEnergy political action committee in 2019.[5]

Eklund was not charged in the federal bribery case. However, his support for HB 6 and campaign contributions from FirstEnergy drew scrutiny from watchdog organizations and media outlets, which pointed to the utility’s extensive financial influence in Ohio politics.[6][7]

A 501(c)(4) organization called Generation Now was later identified in federal filings as the primary dark-money vehicle used to funnel tens of millions of dollars in support of HB 6 and related political activity.[8] No public campaign finance records show direct contributions from Generation Now to Eklund’s committee, but its role in advancing HB 6 has been widely documented.[9]

Political career

Abortion

In 2019, Eklund voted in favor of Ohio Senate Bill 23, commonly referred to as the “Heartbeat Bill,” which prohibits abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detectable, typically around six weeks of pregnancy.[10] Medical experts note that many pregnancies are not yet known at that stage and that cardiac activity at six weeks does not indicate a viable heart.[11] The law was signed by Governor Mike DeWine on April 11, 2019, but was subsequently blocked by a federal judge and did not take effect at that time.[12]

Criminal justice

As chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Eklund oversaw numerous bills relating to sentencing and criminal law. He supported recommendations from the Ohio Criminal Sentencing Commission’s Recodification Committee aimed at simplifying the state’s criminal code.[13] Reform advocates argued the proposals did not go far enough, while prosecutors and victims’ rights groups criticized certain provisions as overly lenient.[14]

Capital punishment

Eklund played a role in legislative debates on Ohio’s death penalty. He supported maintaining the death penalty framework while examining procedural reforms to ensure reliable evidence standards.[15] His positions drew criticism from abolition advocates who sought repeal of capital punishment in Ohio.[16]

Gun legislation

Eklund generally aligned with his party in supporting legislation expanding gun rights. He backed bills that broadened concealed carry rights and eased firearm regulations.[17]

Energy policy

Beyond the FirstEnergy scandal, Eklund supported legislation favorable to coal and natural gas industries and was skeptical of mandates for renewable energy.[18]

Law Career

Eklund joined law firm Calfee, Halter & Griswold in 1980, and became a partner in 1988. He specialises in antitrust law. Eklund has a law degree from Washington and Lee University School of Law and a bachelor's degree from Union College.[19] He is married with two children.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b "Senator John Eklund". Ohio Senate. Archived from the original on December 14, 2012. Retrieved 25 September 2012.
  2. ^ "Eklund gets Ohio Senate committee assignments". The News-Herald. 14 November 2011. Archived from the original on 8 February 2013. Retrieved 25 September 2012.
  3. ^ "Antitrust lawyer will get Grendell's Ohio Senate seat". WKSU News. Retrieved 25 September 2012.
  4. ^ "2012 Elections Results|Ohio Secretary of State". Retrieved 27 February 2014.
  5. ^ "List: Lawmakers and FirstEnergy donations". Ohio Capital Journal. July 24, 2020. Retrieved October 1, 2025.
  6. ^ "Utility Money Still Flows in Ohio Politics After HB6 Scandal". Center for Public Integrity. June 7, 2021. Retrieved October 1, 2025.
  7. ^ Bischoff, Laura A. (August 16, 2020). "Dark money groups poured millions into Ohio elections, often with few strings attached". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved October 1, 2025.
  8. ^ Hancock, Laura (July 22, 2021). "FirstEnergy admits to using dark money group in $60 million bribery scheme". Cleveland.com. Retrieved October 1, 2025.
  9. ^ "Generation Now charged in federal racketeering case". U.S. Department of Justice. July 30, 2020. Retrieved October 1, 2025.
  10. ^ Bischoff, Laura A. (April 11, 2019). "Gov. DeWine signs 'heartbeat bill' abortion restrictions into law". Dayton Daily News. Retrieved October 1, 2025.
  11. ^ Moore, Keith L. (2020). The Developing Human: Clinically Oriented Embryology. Elsevier. p. 65. ISBN 9780323679712. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: checksum (help)
  12. ^ Farnoush, Amir (October 2, 2019). "Federal judge blocks Ohio 'heartbeat' abortion law". Reuters. Retrieved October 1, 2025.
  13. ^ Ludlow, Randy (January 14, 2017). "Ohio's criminal code recodification effort draws mixed reviews". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved October 1, 2025.
  14. ^ "Debate continues over Ohio criminal code rewrite". Cleveland.com. January 15, 2017. Retrieved October 1, 2025.
  15. ^ Provance, Jim (April 2, 2014). "Ohio Senate considers death penalty reforms". The Blade. Retrieved October 1, 2025.
  16. ^ Bischoff, Laura A. (December 21, 2014). "Ohio panel: Abolish death penalty for mentally ill". Dayton Daily News. Retrieved October 1, 2025.
  17. ^ Higgs, Robert (December 8, 2016). "Ohio Senate passes concealed carry bill". Cleveland.com. Retrieved October 1, 2025.
  18. ^ Farkas, Karen (May 8, 2014). "Ohio Senate votes to freeze renewable energy standards". Cleveland.com. Retrieved October 1, 2025.
  19. ^ "Calfee partner John Eklund appointed to Ohio Senate". Calfee, Halter & Griswold. Archived from the original on 31 December 2014. Retrieved 25 September 2012.
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