YOUNGSTOWN — They won’t face each other until the November 2024 election, assuming they win their party primaries, but the campaign committees of Mahoning County Prosecutor Gina DeGenova, a Democrat, and Republican Lynn Maro each raised close to $50,000 in the first half of this year.

Maro raised $48,720 while DeGenova collected $47,700 during the first six months of the year, according to campaign finance reports filed with the Mahoning County Board of Elections.

Maro spent more than DeGenova during the reporting period, $33,405 to $24,387, leaving the incumbent with a cash advantage as of June 30.

DeGenova, a 17-year county assistant prosecutor, was appointed Dec. 1 by the county commissioners as acting prosecutor after the retirement of Paul J. Gains, who retired effective a day prior after serving for nearly 26 years.

The county Democratic Party voted Jan. 7 to have DeGenova fill the rest of Gains’ term, which ends Dec. 31, 2024.

An election for a full four-year term will be Nov. 5, 2024.

Maro, a longtime defense attorney, officially announced her candidacy Jan. 26.

Dec. 20 is the filing deadline for candidates wanting to run in the Democratic and Republican primaries planned for March 19, 2024.

Maro raised much of her money during a March fundraiser.

Among her largest expenses were $10,125 to The Embassy in Boardman for that fundraising event and $4,903 to RMH Creative LLC of Youngstown for political consulting, printing and promotional materials.

Including $1,896 Maro carried over from 2022, she had $17,211 in her campaign account as of June 30.

DeGenova raised much of her money during an April fundraiser.

She received $10,025 from her employees, according to her report.

Her largest expenses were $13,059 to the Lake Club in Poland for the fundraising event, $3,360 to TKM of Uniontown for political materials and a $3,000 consulting fee to D&R Consulting of Canton.

Including $9,940 DeGenova carried over from 2022, she had $33,253 in her campaign account as of June 30.

OTHER CANDIDATES

Tony Stratis, who is challenging incumbent county Recorder Noralynn Palermo in the Democratic primary next March, raised $9,828 during the first half of the year.

Stratis spent $7,481 during the first six months leaving him with a campaign balance of $2,347 as of June 30.

Palermo, who was first appointed county recorder in June 2007 and has been elected to four four-year terms, didn’t raise or spend any money in the first half of the year. She had a $3,010 carryover from previous campaigns.

County Commissioner David Ditzler, a Democrat, also didn’t raise or spend any money in the first six months of 2023 and had a $113 carryover.

Republican Geno DiFabio, who is planning a challenge to Ditzler, raised $840 and spent $2,186 in the first half of the year. DiFabio, who lost a different commissioner race last year by 0.14 of a percent, had $1,214 in his campaign fund as of June 30 because of a carryover from his prior race.

Sheriff Jerry Greene, a longtime Democrat giving consideration to switching to the Republican Party in next year’s election, raised $5,000 during the first half of the year. He spent $3,500, including $300 to the county Democratic Party and $450 to the county Republican Party for events. He also gave money to three Democrats and one Republican for tickets to fundraisers.

Greene had $36,952 in his campaign fund as of June 30 largely because of the $35,652 he had remaining in his fund before the beginning of the year from previous campaigns.