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GOP candidates have financial leads

David Skolnick

Money isn’t the only thing that matters in political races, but just ask those running for elected office and — if they’re being truthful — they will tell you it’s much better to have more than their opponents.

There are five state legislative races between Mahoning and Trumbull counties with Republican candidates in four of those, including three incumbents. Republicans didn’t field a candidate in the 59th Ohio House District race.

In the other four races, Republicans enjoy a large financial advantage over their opponents.

Democratic opponents in two of those races have raised a respectable amount of money, but challengers aren’t competing monetarily with the Republicans.

Democrat Vincent Peterson II of Howland raised $45,768 for the open 64th House District race during the post-primary reporting period. That is the time between July 14 and Sept. 2, which is a little more than seven weeks and includes the Aug. 2 primary.

In the pre-primary period, between Jan. 1 and July 13, Peterson received $37,855 in contributions. Peterson won his party’s primary with 69 percent of the vote.

In comparison, Republican Nick Santucci of Howland, who ran unopposed for his party’s nomination, raised $49,265 in the post-primary period and $75,250 in the pre-primary period.

As of Sept. 2, Santucci, who raised a large amount of money in 2021, had $173,180 in his campaign fund compared to $49,037 for Peterson.

The 64th includes all of Warren, Girard, Liberty, Niles, Hubbard, Vienna, Howland, McDonald and Weathersfield with part of Warren Township.

In the 33rd Senate District — which includes all of Mahoning, Columbiana and Carroll counties — Democrat Robert Hagan, the challenger, raised $33,979 in the post-primary period and $79,887 in the pre-primary period.

While Hagan has received quite a bit of money for his campaign, it is much less than what incumbent state Sen. Michael Rulli, R-Salem, has collected. In the post-primary period, Rulli raised $81,089 and in the pre-primary period, he received $119,069.

Including money carried over from before this year, Rulli had $151,507 as of Sept. 2 compared to $84,318 for Hagan.

It’s not at all financially competitive in the two other state legislative races with sitting Republican incumbents.

Even though state Rep. Al Cutrona, R-Canfield, who is running for re-election in the 58th House District, didn’t raise any money from donors in the post-primary period, he has, by far, the largest amount of money in his campaign fund than any other Valley candidate running for a state legislative seat.

Cutrona loaned $60,000 to his campaign on July 20 even though it doesn’t need it. Cutrona said he had “specific goals” for raising money and he didn’t want to “burden my constituents” so he loaned the money to his campaign.

Between Jan. 1 and July 13, Cutrona raised $48,895 from donors.

Canfield Councilman Bruce Neff, his Democratic challenger, raised $3,125 in the post-primary period and $16,150 in the preprimary period with $7,250 in loans from himself and his wife, Clare.

Neff reported having $2,653 in his fund as of Sept. 2.

Meanwhile, Cutrona, largely because of huge carryover from previous years, had $276,958 in his account as of Sept. 2.

That district includes Austintown, Boardman, Canfield, Berlin, Milton, Jackson, Craig Beach, Struthers, Campbell and Lowellville.

In the 65th House District, state Rep. Mike Loychik, R-Bazetta, who won his party’s Aug. 2 primary with 71 percent of the vote, raised $25,548 in the post-primary period and received $33,582 in in-kind contributions from the Ohio Republican Party.

In the pre-primary period, he received $40,204 in contributions.

Loychik spent a lot of money through Sept. 2: $32,714 in the post-primary period and $89,501 in the preprimary period.

With money he carried over from before Jan. 1, he had $16,927 in his campaign fund as of Sept. 2.

It isn’t a lot of money, but if he needs it, Loychik can continue to count on the state party and fellow incumbent legislators to contribute to his campaign.

In comparison, Jennifer Donnelly of Cortland, his independent challenger, hasn’t had to file a campaign finance report because she didn’t run in the primary. She turned in a designation of treasurer form Aug. 4 to the Ohio secretary of state.

No Democrats filed for the seat, which takes in large portions of Trumbull and Ashtabula counties.

Skolnick covers politics for The Vindicator and the Tribune Chronicle.

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