YOUNGSTOWN — In the final days leading to the Nov. 8 election, the campaigns of Mahoning County Commissioner Carol Rimedio-Righetti and Geno DiFabio, her Republican challenger, went on spending sprees in the closest countywide election in 30 years.

During the post-general election filing period, between Oct. 20 and Dec. 9, Rimedio-Righetti, a Democrat, spent $39,813 with all but about $2,000 spent before the Nov. 8 election. DiFabio spent $45,695 during the period, with all of it expended before the election.

Rimedio-Righetti won by 130 votes, 0.14 of 1 percent, over DiFabio in the general election. She will start serving her fourth four-year term as commissioner next week.

Rimedio-Righetti of Youngstown raised $22,010 in the post-general filing period, including $18,745 at an Oct. 20 fundraiser.

DiFabio of Youngstown, running for elected office for the first time, raised only $200 in the reporting period. But coming into the filing period, DiFabio had more than twice the amount of money in his campaign fund as Rimedio-Righetti.

Of the $29,813 Rimedio-Righetti spent in the filing period, $30,183 went to Vantell Media Group of Austintown, which ran her campaign and purchased media advertising.

Including money carried over from previous reporting periods, Rimedio-Righetti had $5,529 in her campaign fund as of Dec. 9.

Of the $45,695 DiFabio spent in the post-general period, $22,500 went to Hometown Strategies of Cincinnati for advertising and $19,500 went to the Ohio Republican Party to help his campaign.

DiFabio had $2,556 in his campaign fund, which included money from previous reporting periods, as of Dec. 9.

He is planning to run for a county commissioner’s seat, most likely the one currently held by Democrat David Ditzler, in 2024.

COURT OF APPEALS

Gene Donofrio, the longtime Democratic incumbent in the 7th District Court of Appeals race, and Republican Mark A. Hanni, who beat him, both loaned money to their campaigns in the post-general filing period.

Hanni won the election with 58.6 percent of the vote to 41.4 for Donofrio, who’s held the seat for 30 years. The court, based in Youngstown, has jurisdiction over Mahoning, Columbiana, Belmont, Carroll, Harrison, Jefferson, Monroe and Noble counties.

Hanni loaned $10,000 to his campaign on Oct. 25. During the pre-general election period, he loaned $50,000 of his own money to his campaign.

Donofrio loaned $12,000 to his campaign during the post-general period: $5,000 on Oct. 31 and $7,000 on Nov. 3. Donofrio loaned $25,000 to his campaign during the pre-general period.

Donofrio received $12,600 from contributors in the post-general period with his mother, Angela, giving $7,500. She also gave $6,000 to the campaign in the pre-general period.

Donofrio spent $30,545 in the post-general period with the largest expenses being $6,131 to Prodigal Co. of Boardman for media services, $4,667 to WFMJ-TV for advertising and $4,271 to Nexstar Media Group of Irving, Texas, for TV advertising.

After expenses, Donofrio had $851 in his campaign fund as of Dec. 9.

Hanni received $28,425 in contributions in the post-general period with $5,900 coming from the Columbiana County Republican Party.

He spent $35,817 in the post-general period with his largest expenses being $12,272 to Kahris Communications of Cortland for TV advertising and $4,939 to WFMJ for advertising.

Hanni had $9,786 left in his fund as of Dec. 9.

POLITICAL PARTIES

The county Republican and Democratic parties spent more than they raised during the post-general period.

The Democrats raised $2,235 in the period with David Betras, an attorney and former party chairman, being the largest donor at $1,400.

The party spent $15,800 in the period including $8,000 to City Printing of Youngstown for election mail.

It had $7,852 in its campaign fund as of Dec. 9.

Republicans raised $6,216 in the post-general period with $5,000 of it being transferred from its state candidate fund.

It spent $10,484 in the period with the largest expense being $5,000 to Genesis Custom Advertising of Phoenix.

The party had $14,639 in its account as of Dec. 9.