Republican · Ohio's 6th District · 2026
Michael Rulli
Rulli's working life began at his family's grocery business in the Mahoning Valley, founded by his grandfather and great uncle.
Biography
Michael Rulli's first jobs at his family's grocery business included collecting carts and cleaning returned bottles when he was a child.1 The business, founded in 1917, later employed him as its operations director.12 He and his wife, Kelly, have two children and live in Salem.2
While attending Emerson College in Boston, he played bass in the rock band Red Bliss, which toured and shared a house with the band Buffalo Tom.1 As a college student, he also interned for Democratic Representative Joseph P. Kennedy II.1 In a 2025 interview, he said he was playing more jazz and bluegrass than the music of his college days.1
Rulli served eight years on the Leetonia school board before winning election to the Ohio Senate in 2018.1 He entered Congress through a 2024 special election following Bill Johnson's departure to become Youngstown State University's president.1 He now serves on the House Energy and Commerce Committee.3
He favors expanded domestic energy production, including oil, natural gas and coal, as a way to lower costs and reduce foreign dependence.4 He introduced a bipartisan 2026 bill to revise Medicare payments for community health centers, including how telehealth appointments are paid.56 He faces Democrat Elizabeth Kirtley in November.7
Record and controversies
Late financial disclosures
On August 11, 2026, NOTUS reported that Rulli had disclosed 22 stock transactions late under the STOCK Act.8 His original report, signed August 7, lists transactions dating to 2024 and 2025.9 His office acknowledged the reporter's inquiry but did not answer questions about the filings or any fine before publication.8
The reporting concerns disclosure deadlines, not a finding of insider trading.8 A later public agency disposition or penalty was not verified as of October 29, 2026.
Disputed firearms incidents
Cleveland.com reported in February 2024 that Rulli and his wife fired guns in separate encounters with a teenager and his relatives near their property in November 2022; nobody was shot.10 The family denied trespassing and said they were shot at; Rulli said he fired into the ground to protect his property and family.10 The report states that a special prosecutor declined charges in 2023, concluding that the couple's actions were reasonable under the circumstances.10
Hiring after a charity settlement
In January 2025, Rulli hired former Senate aide Michael Peppel as his congressional communications director after Peppel had settled a civil charitable fundraising case involving donations intended to help East Palestine residents.11 The attorney general's August 2023 announcement says Peppel accepted a $25,000 civil penalty and a permanent prohibition on operating or soliciting for charities in Ohio.12 His lawyer disputed some allegations, while Rulli defended the hire by praising Peppel's previous work and citing the lawsuit's dismissal.11 That dismissal followed a settlement imposing civil restrictions; the charity allegations concerned Peppel and the organization.12