John J. Eklund is a former Republican member of the Ohio Senate for the 18th district. He was appointed in November 2011 to replace Tim Grendell, who was appointed as a judge in Geauga County. The selection committee considered thirteen candidates for the appointment. 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. His district includes all of Portage County along with half of Lake County and most of Geauga County.