By DAVID SKOLNICK

Staff writer

Republican Michael Rulli is officially a congressman.

Rulli, of Salem, was sworn in Tuesday as the U.S. House representative from Ohio’s 6th Congressional District, a seat he won in a June 11 special election.

Rulli, a former state senator, defeated Democrat Michael L. Kripchak by 9.4% in a race that was closer than expected.

The final results of that race — though not in doubt — won’t be certified until Thursday by the board of elections of Mahoning County, which is, by far, the most populous county in the district.

Rulli won nine of the 11 counties, losing Tuscarawas and Mahoning counties. He lost Mahoning County by 14 votes, according to unofficial results.

The district has an 18% advantage to Republicans based on voting results in partisan statewide elections over the past decade. Republican Donald Trump won the district in the 2020 presidential race by 29% over Democrat Joe Biden.

The 6th Congressional District includes all of Mahoning, Columbiana, Carroll, Jefferson, Belmont, Harrison, Monroe, Noble and Washington counties and portions of Stark and Tuscarawas counties.

Rulli hired Mark O’Connell, the vice president of governmental affairs for the Plastic Industry Association, as his chief of staff, and Graham Lescallette, the Northeast Ohio district director for U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance, as his deputy chief of staff.

The congressional seat has been vacant since Jan. 21 when Republican Bill Johnson resigned after serving for 13 years to become Youngstown State University president.

The district has been unrepresented for more than five months until Rulli’s swearing in Tuesday. Rulli will serve the remainder of Johnson’s unexpired term.

Rulli and Kripchak will face each other again in the Nov. 5 election for a full two-year term.

With Rulli’s appointment, Republicans have a 219-213 advantage over Democrats in the U.S. House with three vacant seats.

Al Cutrona, R-Canfield, will be officially sworn in today to Rulli’s former state Senate seat. Rulli resigned from the state Senate the day after the special election.

Cutrona was appointed June 13 to the ballot by the county Republican chairs and secretaries in the Senate district with the Ohio Senate Republican Caucus agreeing to have him serve the rest of Rulli’s term that same day.

Cutrona served as a state representative since his May 28, 2020, appointment. He was elected in the 2020 and 2022 general elections.

Cutrona will hold the Senate seat through the end of this year and then have to run in the Nov. 5 election for the remainder of Rulli’s term, which expires at the end of 2026.

The 33rd Ohio Senate District includes all of Mahoning, Columbiana and Carroll counties. It favors Republicans by about 9.5% based on partisan statewide voting results during the past decade.

Cutrona will face whoever the Democrats appoint to the ballot for the rest of Rulli’s term.

Republicans will appoint Cutrona’s successor for the remainder of his term and that person will also be the party’s candidate for the 59th Ohio House District seat in the Nov. 5 election.

Laura Schaeffer, a Beloit councilwoman, is the Democratic Party’s nominee for the state representative seat.

Cutrona currently represents a state House seat that is considered a toss-up based on partisan statewide election results for the past decade. Because of redistricting, it favors Republicans by more than 12% based on those same voting results for the Nov. 5 election.

Have an interesting story? Contact David Skolnick by email at dskolnick@vindy.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @dskolnick.