YOUNGSTOWN — After spending most of the money she raised in the final weeks leading to her Republican primary win for Mahoning County commissioner, Christine Oliver has to play financial catch-up to Lauren McNally, who ran unopposed for the Democratic nomination.

As of June 5, Oliver had $492.72 in her campaign fund to $41,149.87 for McNally.

In the postprimary period, between April 16 and June 5, Oliver raised $5,890 and spent $31,947.98 on her campaign. By far, her largest expense was $28,942.77 to Spencer Federal LLC of East Liverpool for campaign consulting, campaign mail, signs and text messages.

In the preprimary period, between Jan. 1 and April 15, Oliver raised $14,062.30 and spent $3,019.42.

Oliver raised most of the money for her commissioner campaign so far during the second half of 2025, when she collected $31,427.42.

Oliver received 45.25% of the vote in the May 5 Republican primary, defeating Austintown Trustee Bruce Shepas with 34.85% of the vote and Canfield Mayor Don Dragish with 19.9% of the vote.

During the postprimary period, Shepas raised $9,800 with Dragish collecting $3,394.65.

In the preprimary period, Shepas raised $23,350 from donors and loaned $20,000 to his campaign while Dragish raised $12,050.75.

In the postprimary period, Dragish spent $8,235.26 with Shepas spending $32,452.05. Of Shepas’ expenses, $21,000 went to him with $20,000 repaying the loan on June 2, after losing the primary, as well as a $1,000 loan he gave his campaign for a 2023 Austintown trustee race.

As of June 5, Shepas had $6,675.84 in his fund while Dragish had $2,135.60.

McNally, a two-term Ohio House representative, ran without a challenger in the Democratic primary and will face Oliver in the Nov. 3 general election.

During the postprimary period, McNally raised $10,375 with $6,875 of it coming from labor unions.

McNally came into the period with a $35,165.97 surplus, which included money transferred from her Ohio House account and funds raised earlier this year, largely from labor unions.

The seat is currently held by Democrat Carol ===Rimedio-Righetti, who decided not to seek reelection.

JUDICIAL RACES

There are two open common pleas court general division judicial seats and an open domestic relations judge position on the Nov. 3 ballot. The general division seats are now held by John M. Durkin, who decided not to seek another term, and R. Scott Krichbaum, who couldn’t run because of the state’s age-limit law for judges. Beth A. Smith, the domestic relations judge, is also barred from seeking another term because of the age-limit law.

Democrats ran unopposed for the three seats while there were two-person Republican primaries for those three judicial positions.

In the Republican primary for Durkin’s post, Ralph Rivera beat Anissa Modarelli 54.69% to 45.31%.

The Democratic nominee is J. Michael Thompson.

None of them raised much money in the postprimary period. Rivera raised $2,085.65, Modarelli collected $8,890 and Thompson received $2,725.

But Rivera spent $51,311.90 in the postprimary period with $15,007.92 going to Spencer Federal for campaign mail. Rivera’s report also includes $10.25 in fees to WinRed. It doesn’t include information about the remaining $36,293.73 Rivera reported spending in the period.

Late last year, Rivera’s campaign received $45,000 in loans — $15,000 from himself, $10,000 from his wife, Candace, and $20,000 from Marilyn Blackstone of Campbell.

Rivera had $36,293.73 in his campaign fund as of June 5.

Modarelli had previously loaned $8,000 to her campaign.

Modarelli spent $22,639.74 in the postprimary period with $18,692.30 of it going to 5 Point Strategy of Punta Gorda, Florida, for campaign mail and text messaging.

She had $4,942.28 in her fund as of June 5.

Thompson spent $3,095.27 in the postprimary period and had a $31,680.32 surplus as of June 5. Late last year, Thompson loaned $10,000 to his campaign with his mother, Carolyn, loaning $5,000.

Rivera and Thompson will also face two independents — Jeff Limbian and Robert Andrews — in the Nov. 3 general election.

Limbian and Andrews didn’t have to file postprimary reports as they didn’t run in the primary.

But Andrews filed one showing a $50,000 loan from his wife, Jean, and $4,830 in contributions.

Andrews spent $8,983.42 in the period with his largest expense being $6,000 to J. Eliot and Associates of Boardman for campaign ads.

In the other Republican primary for a general division spot, Ross T. Smith beat Edward Czopur 53.67% to 46.33%.

In the postprimary period, Smith raised $6,725 and spent $15,315.82. His largest expense was $6,826.03 to the Strategy Group for Media of Delaware, Ohio, for campaign mail. With carryover, Smith had $787.58 in his campaign fund as of June 5.

Czopur raised $429.10 from donors and loaned $12,000 to his fund in the postprimary period. Czopur spent $21,601.18 with $15,823.58 going to Spencer Federal for printing expenses and he paid back $5,071.54 of the loan to himself. That left him with no money as of June 5.

Democrat Mark D’Apolito raised $16,340 and spent $14,945.19 in the postprimary period. His largest expense was $9,440 to The Embassy of Boardman for hosting an April fundraiser.

Including a $25,000 loan he gave his campaign in the preprimary period and other money he carried over, D’Apolito had $38,148.26 in his fund as of June 5.

In the Republican primary for the domestic relations seat, Mark A. DeVicchio beat Kathleen Bartlett 56.56% to 43.44%.

DeVicchio raised $13,074 in the postprimary period and spent $20,281.65. With carryover from previous filing periods, DeVicchio had $589.95 in his fund as of June 5.

Bartlett raised $1,950 and spent $11,177.94 in the postprimary period.

Bartlett’s husband, Alan, loaned $60,005 to her campaign last year. Bartlett’s biggest postprimary expense was paying back $6,179.63 of that loan. She terminated her account, forgiving the rest of the loan.

Terry Grenga, the Democratic candidate for the post, raised $973.84 and spent $1,236.04 in the postprimary period.

Grenga loaned $773.51 to her campaign in the postprimary period in addition to $3,567.45 in the preprimary period. She also reported a $1,000 loan from Michelle Panella of Canfield in her postprimary report.

Grenga had $330.81 in her fund as of June 5.

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