Incumbents have large financial advantages in the race | News, Sports, Jobs

Incumbent state legislators representing the Mahoning Valley have raised far more money than their challengers thanks in large part to political action committees and, in the cases of the four Republican incumbents, financial support from party fundraising groups and committees. candidates.

During the pre-general reporting period, April 20 to October 16, the four incumbent Republicans received between $34,137 and $101,068 in in-kind contributions from a combination of the Ohio Republican Party, the Republican Senate Campaign Committee (RSCC) and/or the House Ohio. Republican Alliance.

State Sen. Al Cutrona, R-Canfield, who was appointed June 26 to Ohio’s 33rd Senate seat after four years in the Ohio House, received the largest in-kind contribution, with $63,393 coming from from the RSCC, the campaign arm of Senate Republicans. , and the rest from the Ohio Republican Party State Candidate Fund. It was for direct mail, digital advertising, radio and TV advertising, and mail. But Cutrona gave the RSCC $100,000 for campaign expenses.

TRUMBULL COUNTY

State Rep. Nick Santucci, R-Howland, seeking re-election to the 64th Ohio House District seat, has raised more money in the primary than any other candidate representing the Valley in the state Legislature.

Santucci raised $262,734 between April 20 and October 16, $104,100 coming from the PAC and $15,750 from Republican lawmakers’ committees. It also received a $15,499 contribution from Regina M. Mitchell, co-owner of Warren Fabricating, and $15,000 from Eric Rebhan, the company’s other co-owner.

Santucci received $10,000 from Holly L. Swartz of New Middletown, co-owner of Personal Protected Inc., and $5,000 in contributions from 10 others.

Santucci also received a combined $53,315 from the Ohio House Republican Alliance and the Ohio Republican Party State Candidate Fund for media production, political staff, mailings, research and texting.

Santucci spent $288,369 in the pre-primary period, with his largest outlay being $25,000 to OHRA for advertising.

Santucci had $210,800 in his fund as of October 16.

His Democratic opponent, Lauren Mathews of Warren, raised $15,908 in the primary, including a $2,000 loan to her campaign.

She received $2,250 from the PAC and $3,000 from The Matriots, a Columbus group that supports female candidates.

Mathews spent $25,677 during that period, and $18,350 went to Adapt Digital LLC of Findlay for digital advertising.

Due to a carryover from previous filing periods, Mathews had $330 in her campaign fund as of Oct. 16.

The district, which includes parts of Trumbull County, favors Democrats by about 2.5 percent based on voting results. But in the 2022 election, when the district favored Democrats by nearly 10 percent, Santucci won by 1.8 percent.

In the 32nd Ohio Senate District race, incumbent Sandra O’Brien, R-Lenox, raised $49,300 in the primary, with $28,000 coming from PACs and $15,500 from Patrick Preston of Newbury , owner of the Preston Superstore car dealership.

O’Brien also received $33,956 from the RSCC — $8,969 for media production and mail — and the Ohio Republican Party Candidate Fund — $24,987 for direct mail.

During the Republican primary, RSCC spent $452,587 to help O’Brien defeat state Rep. Mike Loychik de Bazetta.

O’Brien spent $13,636, with her biggest expense being $5,149 at Jefferson Speedway for “campaign gas”.

She had $104,575 in her account as of October 16.

Michael Shrodek of Warren, O’Brien’s Democratic challenger, raised $14,601 in the primary.

It spent $14,383, $7,225 of which went to Capitol Promotions in Glenside, Pa., for signs, shirts and a banner.

Most of the $1,451 his campaign received in in-kind contributions came from Shrodek.

With a small carryover from previous deposit periods, Shrodek had $2,890 in his fund as of October 16.

The 32nd District includes all of Trumbull and Ashtabula counties and most of Geauga County. It favors Republicans by about 10.5% based on past polling results.

In the 65th Ohio House District, Ashtabula County Auditor David Thomas of Jefferson is running unopposed in the Nov. 5 election.

In the pre-primary period, he raised $39,399, with $20,500 coming from the PAC.

Thomas reported $34,930 in expenses, but only listed $25,428 worth of costs on his report. His biggest outlay was $10,000 for the Ohio House Republican Alliance.

He reported a surplus of $12,851 as of October 16.

The district, which includes parts of Trumbull and Ashtabula counties, favors Republicans by 14.5 percent, based on partisan voting trends over the past decade.

MAHONING COUNTY

Cutrona faces Democrat Marty Hume of Youngstown in the 33rd Senate District race, which was not supposed to be on the ballot this year. Republican Michael Rulli of Salem resigned from office on June 12, a day after being elected to the 6th Congressional District seat. The winner will serve out the remaining two years of Rulli’s term.

Cutrona was a strong fundraiser during his four years in the State House.

In addition to the $101,068 he received in in-kind contributions during the period, Cutrona raised $151,545 with $56,850 provided by the PAC.

Cutrona spent $130,159 during that period. The $100,000 for the RSCC was by far his largest expenditure.

Due to a large carryover from previous campaigns and filing periods, Cutrona had $101,078 in his campaign fund as of October 16.

In comparison, Hume started with no money and raised $24,819 in the pre-primary filing period — though his first contribution was Aug. 1 — with a $3,500 candidate contribution the largest contribution. Hume’s $25,000 in loans to his campaign was more money than he raised from donors. Hume also provided $3,250 in in-kind contributions to his yard sign campaign.

Hume spent $42,681 during this period, with $25,184 going to local television and cable ads.

His fund had $7,138 as of October 16.

The 33rd District includes all of Mahoning, Columbiana and Carroll counties and favors Republicans by about 9.5 percent, based on statewide partisan voting trends over the past decade.

With Cutrona’s seat open, Republicans nominated Tex Fischer to the position on June 26.

Fischer, who is running for the 59th Ohio House District in the Nov. 5 election, raised $140,139 in the pre-primary period, with $78,000 coming from Republican legislators’ committees and $27,400 from PACs.

Fischer’s biggest contributors were $15,500 each from committees for Senate President Matt Huffman, D-Lima, and House Speaker Jason Stephens, R-Kitts Hill. Huffman and Stephens are both seeking the speaker position for the next House session.

Fischer’s campaign also received $90,600 in in-kind contributions from the Ohio House Republican Alliance, the campaign arm of House Republicans, for video, photography, polling, research, digital advertising, media production, texting and taxes legal. The Mahoning County Board of Elections held a hearing to determine Fischer’s eligibility, which ended in a 2-2 tie with Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, a Republican, ruling in Fischer’s favor. Legal fees were $7,500.

Fischer has spent $32,874 since Oct. 16, with the largest expenditures being $10,032 to iHeart Media for radio ads and $10,000 to OHRA as a caucus contribution.

As of October 16, Fischer had $107,264 in his campaign fund.

Laura Schaeffer of Beloit, his Democratic challenger, raised $56,861 between April 20 and Oct. 16, $23,000 coming from the PAC and $3,000 from The Matriots.

She spent $50,335 during that period, with $10,000 going to Atlanta, Ga.-based Nexstar for streaming video ads and $10,000 to Youngstown-based Blue Phoenix Strategies for political consulting.

With a previous carryover, Schaeffer had $30,931 in her campaign fund as of Oct. 16.

District 59 includes portions of Mahoning County and two townships in Columbiana County. She favors Republicans by 12 percent based on partisan poll results.

State Rep. Lauren McNally of Youngstown — the only Democrat in the Valley’s legislative delegation — raised $80,143 in the primary, $54,000 from PACs and $6,360 from Democratic legislative committees in her bid to represent the 59th District.

McNally spent $51,512 during the period, with $20,408 to the Ohio Democratic Party for campaign mailings and $7,677 to Event Management LLC of Youngstown for printing and mailing campaign materials and video and audio production.

McNally’s campaign had $74,060 left in the fund as of Oct. 16. The amount includes carryover from her previous campaign and registration periods.

Her Republican opponent, Emily Ciccone of Austintown, did not file.

The 58th District includes portions of Mahoning County and favors Democrats by more than 21 percent based on voting results.