U.S. Reps. Dave Joyce and Michael Rulli, the two incumbent Republicans who represent the Mahoning Valley, drew numerous challengers.

In the 14th Congressional District, two Republicans — Niki Frenchko of Warren, a former Trumbull County commissioner, and Mark Zetzer of Russell — filed by Wednesday’s deadline to challenge Joyce, R-Bainbridge, who is seeking his eighth two-year term.

Also filing were three Democrats — Bill O’Neill of Shaker Heights, a former Ohio Supreme Court justice and 11th District Court of Appeals judge; Carl Setzer of Moreland Hills, a restaurant owner; and Maria Jukic, a former Euclid City Council member.

Frenchko also had pulled nominating petitions for Trumbull County commissioner, county auditor and the 64th Ohio House District positions, but seemed to be leaning toward a congressional run.

She filed Wednesday.

“Our district deserves a congresswoman who will fight for them as hard as the Democrats fight against us,” Frenchko said. “They deserve an America First Republican who will roll up their sleeves and work — not career politicians on autopilot while Washington insiders sit around picking winners and leaving northeast Ohio behind.”

Frenchko, who was elected in 2020 as a county commissioner, pulled nominating petitions in the 2024 Republican primary for both county commissioner seats on the ballot. She chose to seek reelection, losing the primary by 18.6% to Rick Hernandez, who went on to win the general election.

Joyce, who is endorsed by President Donald Trump, said when he filed: “Serving the people of Ohio’s 14th District has been my greatest honor and I am incredibly proud of the results I have delivered to my constituents. Historic tax cuts for Ohio families and small businesses, a secure border, obtaining over $50 billion for rural hospitals across the country and a return to regular order in government funding are just some of the accomplishments I’ve achieved” in this term.

Jukic filed in 2024 as an independent for the 14th District seat, but didn’t have enough valid signatures to get on the ballot. Her Euclid residence isn’t in the district, but there is no restriction on where a congressional candidate in Ohio resides as long as the person lives in the state.

6TH DISTRICT

In the 6th District, Rulli, R-Salem, will face a GOP primary challenge from Jullie Kelley of Monroe. Rulli was elected in June 2024 to an unexpired term and then to a full term five months later. He is seeking his second, full two-year term in November.

Kelley ran in 2023 for a trustee position in her Carroll County township, finishing last with 9% of the vote.

Six Democrats filed nominating petitions in the 6th District for the May 5 primary.

They are: Sean Connolly of Canfield, Malcolm Ritchie of Dover, Adrian Vitus of Poland, Brent Hanni of Youngstown, Charles DiPalma of Steubenville and Elizabeth Kirtley of New Philadelphia.

Hanni has spent the past two months as head fiscal officer at the Mahoning County Clerk of Courts. Before that, he was senior executive catering chef at Kent State University for nearly four years.

Hanni said: “No one in Washington, D.C., can relate to the problems people face every day in the 6th District. Congress has completely dropped the ball with the American Dream and as a result, working families are suffering.”

Connolly owns a tattoo business in Canfield. With redistricting, Connolly’s Canfield home is being moved with this election from the 6th District to the 14th. But state law doesn’t require him to live in the district.

Vitus worked as a contractor for the U.S. Agency for International Development before cuts were made by the Department of Government Efficiency.

Ritchie is a retired U.S. Army Reserve lieutenant colonel and a retired locomotive engineer.

DiPalma unsuccessfully ran for an Ohio House seat in 2022, getting 28.7% of the vote.

Little is known about Kirtley, who states she is a writer on her Facebook page.

The candidates need at least 50 valid signatures to qualify for the May 5 primary election.

May 4 is the filing deadline for candidates who want to run as independents for the congressional seats.

Because of redistricting, the 6th boundaries will see changes with this election.

The district lost a portion of Mahoning County and added more of Stark County. That change will make Stark the district’s most-populous county with this election, displacing Mahoning, which is now the second most-populous.

All of Tuscarawas County is being included in the district compared to only a portion currently. The district is gaining portions of Wayne and Holmes counties and will lose Monroe, Noble and Washington counties.

The district will keep all of Columbiana, Jefferson, Carroll, Belmont and Harrison counties.

With the November election, the 6th District will favor Republicans 63.9% to 36.1% for Democrats based on partisan statewide voting results between 2016 and 2024, according to the redistricting commission. The current district favors Republicans 59.1% to 40.9% for Democrats based on partisan statewide voting results from 2014 to 2022.

Because of redistricting, the 14th will be more Republican starting with this election with the addition of small parts of Mahoning County and a change in Portage in which it is losing a Democrat portion and adding a more Republican area.

The 14th District will favor Republicans 58.5% to 41.5% for Democrats based on partisan statewide voting results between 2016 to 2024, according to the Ohio Redistricting Commission. It currently favors Republicans 54.8% to 45.2% for Democrats on voting results from 2014 to 2022.

Lake will remain the most-populous county in the 14th District with Trumbull the second most-populous. The district will continue to include all of Ashtabula and Geauga counties.