Rulli is the director of operations at Rulli Bros. Markets, a family-owned chain of grocery stores based in the Mahoning Valley region.[5]
Early life
Born on March 11, 1969,[6] Rulli is a graduate of Poland Seminary High School and the United States Naval Sea Cadet Corps. He went on to earn bachelor's degrees in communications and speech from Emerson College in 1991. While studying in Boston, Rulli also interned for Joseph P. Kennedy II and played in the grunge band Red Bliss. After graduation, he joined his family's business, Rulli Bros. Markets. Initially a Democrat, he later joined the Republican Party.[7]
Then-state representative Al Cutrona was sworn in to Rulli's former Senate seat on June 26.[10]
On November 5, 2024, Rulli won re-election with about 66% of the vote, running again against Michael Kripchak.[12]
Personal life
Rulli resides in Salem, Ohio, with his wife Kelly and their two children.[13]
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.[14]
