YOUNGSTOWN — James Melone, a Mahoning County court magistrate, raised $28,018 compared with $19,795 for Judge Jennifer J. Ciccone in the Struthers Municipal Court judicial race during the pregeneral election period.

The pregeneral election period ended Oct. 18. For those like Melone, who ran and won a contested Democratic primary, the period’s start date is June 3. For those like Ciccone, who was unopposed for the Republican nomination, the start date is Jan. 1. But except for $550 in loans she gave her campaign, Ciccone didn’t raise any money before June 3.

Gov. Mike DeWine, a fellow Republican, appointed Ciccone of Poland to the vacant judicial seat, effective Oct. 6. The appointment was announced Sept. 29, only four days after Ciccone was asked by Columbiana County Republican Party Chairman Dave Johnson if she was interested in it.

Of the $19,795 raised by Ciccone, $9,230 came from donors. The remaining $10,565 came from loans with $8,500 given by her father, Dennis Ciccone of Poland, and the other $2,065 from the candidate and her husband.

Ciccone’s campaign finance report also lists $4,442 in outstanding debt to herself for payment of various expenses including supplies, parade decorations, advertising materials, pins, labels, folders, shirts and her membership in the National Rifle Association.

All of the $28,018 raised by Melone of Poland came from donors.

Before June 3, Melone raised $35,579 to defeat Dominic R. Leone III, who was the incumbent, in the Democratic primary. Leone’s resignation was effective Sept. 29.

In the pregeneral reporting period, Melone spent $18,224 to $18,962 for Ciccone.

As of Oct. 18, Melone had $12,326 in his account, which includes money left over from the primary, to $833 for Ciccone.

CAMPBELL RACE

The candidates in Mahoning County’s other contested municipal court race, in Campbell, raised less than $6,000 combined.

That seat is open because of the impending retirement of Patrick Cunning as a result of the state’s age limit on judges. The race pits Brian J. Macala, the city law director, against Mark Kolmacic, a former city law director.

Kolmacic raised $5,750 for his campaign with $3,900 in loans from himself and $1,850 in contributions from his sister, Karen Winters of Columbus. He spent $5,235 and had $515 in his account as of Oct. 18.

Macala raised $475 since Jan. 1, but had $12,489 in his account from previous campaigns. He spent $5,742 and had $7,222 in his account as of Oct. 18.

The only other judge on the Nov. 7 ballot is incumbent Carla Baldwin of Youngstown Municipal Court. She is running unopposed. Baldwin raised $18,100 and spent $12,158 in the pregeneral reporting period.

YOUNGSTOWN

Three candidates seek the open Youngstown clerk of courts position: Richard Vincent Hill, who’s worked at that office for the past 23 years; city Law Director Jeff Limbian; and Corrine Sanderson, a paralegal.

Limbian didn’t file a pregeneral report by the deadline.

Hill reported $16,888 in contributions with $9,800 coming from him. Also, outgoing Clerk of Courts Sarah Brown-Clark, who supports him, gave $1,000 to Hill’s campaign.

Hill spent $17,657 during the pregeneral period with his biggest expenses being $4,221 to City Printing of Youngstown for campaign literature and $3,834 to Signs on the Cheap of Austin, Texas, for campaign yard signs.

Sanderson raised $3,121 and spent $2,750 as of Oct. 18.

Most Youngstown council candidates reported raising small amounts of money or none.

The most financially competitive race is in the 7th Ward with incumbent Democrat Basia Adamczak facing Republican Josie Lyon and independent Amber White.

Lyon raised the most money from donors, $9,253, which included $1,000 from the Mahoning County Republican Party and several contributions from Republican officeholders and donors. She also loaned $50 to her campaign. Lyon had $6,883 in expenses.

Adamczak raised $1,955 and gave her campaign an $8,000 loan. She spent $1,086 as of Oct. 18.

White raised $500 from a single donor and loaned $11,580 to her campaign. She spent $11,810 as of Oct. 18.

TRUSTEE RACES

In Canfield, incumbent Trustee Joe Paloski reported raising and spending no money on his reelection. He also listed $4,541 in in-kind contributions from himself to pay for items such as signs, advertising, shirts and stamps.

Anthony J. Bettile, his challenger and a former trustee, raised $25,333 as of Oct. 18 with $20,000 coming from himself. Bettile spent $23,990 including $5,890 to the Youngstown Letter Shop of Youngstown for campaign mailings and $4,300 to Lamar Advertising in Liberty for billboards as of Oct. 18.

Four candidates are running for Austintown trustee with two candidates — Eric J. Vereb and Bruce Shepas — filing pregeneral reports.

Shepas raised $9,670 from donors and loaned $1,000 to his campaign. He spent $8,828 on his campaign as of Oct. 18.

Vereb raised $5,908 with all of the money coming from the candidate. He spent $5,888 as of Oct. 18.

POLITICAL PARTIES

The Mahoning County Republican Party raised and spent significantly more money than the county Democratic Party in the pregeneral period. Also, as of Oct. 18, the Republicans had almost seven times the amount of cash on hand compared with the Democrats.

The Republican Party raised $40,830 and spent $38,665 during the reporting period.

The biggest expenses are related to its Oct. 3 fundraiser headlined by Tim Ballard, whose efforts to stop sex trafficking inspired a movie.

Ballard’s speaking fee was $10,000, and the party had to pay $1,669 for plane tickets for his appearance. The party also paid $11,535 to Mr. Anthony’s in Boardman to host the event.

The Republicans had $41,297 in their fund as of Oct. 18, largely because of carryover from previous reporting periods.

The Democrats spent $19,063 and spent $17,331 in the pregeneral period.

The party’s biggest expense was $3,892 to Campra Catering of Youngstown, which catered two events.

The party had $6,012 in its account as of Oct. 18, which includes a carryover.

dskolnick@vindy.com