U.S. Rep. Michael Rulli raised more than nine times the amount of money collected by his Democratic opponent, Michael L. Kripchak, during the third quarter with much of the incumbent Republican’s funds coming from political action committees.

Rulli, R-Salem, received $250,095 in the third quarter with $155,786, or 62% of it coming from PACs.

The amount raised in the quarter pushed Rulli over the $1 million mark since forming his federal campaign in December. Rulli had $1,000,520 as of Sept. 30.

Rulli and Kripchak of Youngstown are running for the 6th Congressional District seat. Rulli won a special June 11 election by 9.3% for the unexpired term of Republican Bill Johnson, who resigned in January to become Youngstown State University president.

Rulli and Kripchak face off again in the Nov. 5 general election.

In comparison, Kripchak raised $26,862 in the third quarter with no money coming from PACs. Overall, he raised $62,517 for his campaign as of Sept. 30.

Since Rulli’s June 11 election, about half of the money he’s received came from PACs.

In the third quarter, Rulli received $5,000 maximum donations from PACs representing the American Crystal Sugar Co., National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, National Automobile Dealers Association, American Israel Public Affairs Committee, National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, Home Depot and Operating Engineers.

He also received $5,000 contributions from PACs run by former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, the Republican Governance Group, a group of moderate Republican House members, and three other Republican members of Congress — Virginia Foxx of North Carolina, Richard Hudson of North Carolina and Jason Smith of Missouri.

Because of the timing of the special election, the third quarter finances for Rulli and Kripchak are from July 2, rather than July 1, and run through Sept. 30.

Rulli spent $136,276 in the third quarter with his largest expense being $46,000 to Spencer Federal LLC of East Liverpool for campaign consulting, printing and mail. He also paid $18,231 to Poolhouse Agency LLC of Richmond, Virginia, for media production and $14,225 to Grand Valley Consulting LLC of Washington, D.C., for fundraising consulting.

Overall, Rulli spent $825,475 since December to win the March Republican primary, the June special election and toward getting reelected in this current election.

Rulli included a number of travel expenses in the third quarter on his campaign finance report.

Among them are four stays — all listed on his report as being paid Sept. 9 — at the Holiday Inn Express in Salem, Rulli’s hometown, totaling $1,711.

He listed stays at the Renaissance Arlington Capital View Hotel in Arlington, Virginia, paid Sept. 13 for $348 and Sept. 15 for $279, and a $601 cost, paid Sept. 20 for The Wallace, a hotel in New York City.

Rulli also listed paying for flights on American Airlines for Sept. 11, $320, and Sept. 19, $259, as well as $629 for a Delta flight, paid Sept. 20, and a $476 car rental fee paid Sept. 11.

Rulli reported a campaign surplus of $174,061 as of Sept. 30.

He still owes $52,450 in campaign debt and hasn’t repaid a $30,400 loan he gave his campaign Dec. 15.

Kripchak entered the third quarter with a $3,811 debt and left it with a larger debt of $6,775.

During the quarter, Kripchak raised $26,862 and spent $29,825.

His largest expenses were $12,000 to Colossus Strategies and Consulting of Canfield for consulting and fundraising, and $5,415 to PC Signs of Cincinnati for signs.

Overall, Kripchak raised $63,517 and spent $70,292 for his campaign as of Sept. 30.

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

The district has an 18% advantage for Republicans based on voting trends in partisan statewide elections over the past decade. Rulli won the special June 11 election by 9.3%.

The seat is considered safe for Republicans.

14TH DISTRICT

U.S. Rep. Dave Joyce, R-Bainbridge, raised $310,974 in the third quarter in his bid to win a seventh two-year term representing the 14th Congressional District.

Brian Bob Kenderes, his Democratic opponent in the Nov. 5 election, hasn’t filed a campaign finance report with the Federal Election Commission.

Of the money raised by Joyce in the third quarter, $248,565 came from PACs. That’s 80% of the money he collected between July 1 and Sept. 30.

Overall for this campaign, Joyce raised $2.2 million with about $1.3 million — more than 61% — coming from PACs.

Joyce’s fund also got $13,788 in interest during the third quarter and a total of $84,653 for this campaign.

In the third quarter, PACs giving Joyce the maximum $5,000 contribution amount were those representing the Air Line Pilots Association, Edison International, Hallmark Cards, Koch Industries, National Association of Letter Carriers, National Automobile Dealers Association and National Multifamily Housing Council.

He also received $5,000 donations from the PACs of House Speaker Mike Johnson, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee as well as two Republican members of Congress — Frank Lucas of Oklahoma and Jason Smith of Missouri.

In the third quarter, Joyce spent $223,340 with his largest expenses being $82,447 to 814 Consulting of Alexandria, Virginia, for fundraising consulting and event expenses, and $65,000 to Kalk Strategies of Willoughby for digital advertising. The latter company is run by David Kalk, who works for Joyce’s campaign committee. Kalk was paid $11,682 in salary for the three months in the third quarter.

Joyce gave $25,000 in contributions to other Republican congressional candidates as well as $5,000 each to the Trumbull County Republican Party and the Ohio Republican Party.

For this election, Joyce has spent $1.4 million.

With a large carryover from previous campaigns and filing quarters, Joyce had $2.7 million in his fund as of Sept. 30.

Among Joyce’s travel expenses in the third quarter are three flights on American Airlines — $694 paid Aug. 26, and two paid Sept. 24 for $225 and $304. There is also a $549 payment July 23 to United Airlines for a flight.

Joyce’s campaign listed five hotel stays on its third quarter expenses. One is to Hotel Okura for $440 on Sept. 24 that states it is in Kyoto, Ohio, a place that doesn’t exist. But there is a Hotel Okura in Kyoto, Japan.

The others are $750 for a hotel in Middleburg, Virginia, $204 for a stay in a Cincinnati Marriott and two stays at a Residence Inn, location undetermined, for $774.

Joyce’s campaign also received a $993 refund on July 22 from American Airlines.

Kenderes pleaded guilty July 9 to a fifth-degree felony of filing a false voter registration by claiming he lives in Mentor on his nominating petitions to get on the ballot for this seat and on a voter registration form.

He will start serving a 30-day Lake County jail sentence starting Nov. 9, four days after the general election.

There is nothing prohibiting a felon from running for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

There is also no law requiring a congressional candidate to live in the district to seek that office. The candidate only needs to reside in Ohio.

Kenderes has listed addresses in Strongsville and Garfield Heights, both in Cuyahoga County, on court documents.

The 14th District includes all of Trumbull, Ashtabula, Lake and Geauga counties and all but two communities in Portage County.

The district has a 9.7% Republican advantage based on statewide partisan voting results during the past decade. Joyce won the 2022 election by 23.5% over Democrat Matt Kilboy.

The seat is considered safe for Republicans.