In 1978, Anthony Joseph Celebrezze defeated incumbent Republican Ted W. Brown in the election for Ohio Secretary of State.

[3] While serving as attorney general, Anthony Joseph Celebrezze fought a legal battle against the United States Department of Energy over the nuclear and chemical pollution at the Fernald nuclear weapons plant, which for years had been kept secret under the disguise of the Fernald Feed Materials Production Center.

[4] For the general election, Celebrezze faced a formidable Republican foe, George Voinovich, the popular out-going Mayor of Cleveland.

[5] Some analysts attribute his loss, in part, to Celebrezze's much-criticized switch from his long-held pro-life views to a pro-choice position.

[6] In April 2001, Celebrezze joined Kegler Brown Hill & Ritter, a law firm based in Columbus, Ohio.

[citation needed] Celebrezze died on July 4, 2003, of a heart attack after finishing third in a Legend Car auto race at Shadybowl Speedway in De Graff, Ohio.