Joseph Koziura

Joseph Koziura is a Democratic politician who served in the Ohio House of Representatives from 1985 to 1995 and again from 2001 until 2010.

Life and career

A native of Lorain, Ohio, Koziura first ran and won a seat in the Ohio House of Representatives in 1984. He quickly rose in the ranks, and worked as an advocate for new development and innovation for his hometown of Lorain. Notably, Koziura was an early advocate for casinos in Ohio.^[1] He also championed women's rights law early in his career,^[2] and voting rights.^[3] Koziura was also influential on education initiatives, working closely with Ohio Governor George Voinovich throughout the 1990s.^[4]

In 1995, Koziura ran for Mayor of Lorain. He campaigned on the basis of his experience in the Ohio House. He won the election, took office on January 3, 1996, resigned from his House seat, and was succeeded by Dan Metelsky. His time as mayor was marked by colorful events, including a time when a felon threatened and punched Koziura while in his office.^[5] Soon after, he was arrested for drunken driving.^[6]

Return to the Ohio House of Representatives

By 2001, Metelsky had resigned to seek another office, leaving Koziura's former seat open again. Wanting out of the mayor's office, he accepted an appointment back in his old seat in the Ohio House. He was sworn into office on October 30, 2001, and won a full term in November 2002. He won reelection in 2004, and again in 2006. By 2008, Democrats had again attained control of the House, and Koziura was named to several powerful committees.

Because of term limits, he was unable to run for reelection in 2010, after nine years in the post. He ran for county commissioner in Lorain County.^[7] In an overwhelmingly Republican year, Koziura lost the election, and was thus out of office for the first time in over 25 years. He has since returned to Lorain.

References