U.S. Rep. Michael Rulli raised more than nine times the amount raised 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%, coming from PACs.

The amount raised during the quarter pushed Rulli above $1 million since his federal campaign began in December. Rulli had $1,000,520 on hand as of September 30.

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

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

By comparison, Kripchak raised $26,862 in the third quarter with no money from PACs. In total, he has raised $62,517 for his campaign as of September 30.

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

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

He also received $5,000 contributions from PACs led 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.

Due to the timing of the special election, Rulli and Kripchak’s third quarter finances are dated July 2, rather than July 1, and extend through September 30.

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

In total, Rulli has spent $825,475 since December to win the March Republican primary, the June special election and to seek re-election in the current election.

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

Among them were four stays – all listed in his report as paid for on September 9 – at the Holiday Inn Express in Salem, Rulli’s hometown, for a total of $1,711.

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

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

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

He still owes $52,450 in campaign debt and has not repaid a $30,400 loan he gave to his campaign on December 15.

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

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

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

In total, Kripchak has raised $63,517 and spent $70,292 on his campaign as of September 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 enjoys an 18% advantage for Republicans, based on voting trends in partisan statewide elections over the past decade. Rulli won the June 11 special election with 9.3%.

The seat is considered safe for Republicans.

14TH DISTRICT

U.S. Rep. Dave Joyce, Republican from 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, has not filed a campaign finance report with the Federal Election Commission.

Of the money Joyce raised in the third quarter, $248,565 came from PACs. This represents 80% of the money he raised between July 1 and September 30.

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

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

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

He also received $5,000 donations from the PACs of House Speaker Mike Johnson, former Arkansas Governor 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 her largest expenses being $82,447 to 814 Consulting of Alexandria, Va., for fundraising and event consulting, and $65,000 to Willoughby’s Kalk Strategies for digital advertising. The latter company is run by David Kalk, who works for Joyce’s campaign committee. Kalk received $11,682 in salary for the three months of 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 spent $1.4 million.

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

Among Joyce’s third-quarter travel expenses were three flights on American Airlines – $694 paid on August 26 and two paid on September 24 for $225 and $304. There is also a payment of $549 on July 23 to United Airlines for one flight.

Joyce’s campaign listed five hotel stays in its third-quarter spending. One is at the Okura Hotel for $440 on September 24, indicating that it is in Kyoto, Ohio, a location that does not exist. But there is an Okura Hotel in Kyoto, Japan.

The others cost $750 for a hotel in Middleburg, Va., $204 for a stay at 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 for filing a false voter registration by claiming he lives in Mentor on his nominating petitions to appear on the ballot for that seat and on a voter registration form.

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

Nothing prohibits a felon from running for a seat in the United States House of Representatives.

There is also no law requiring a congressional candidate to live in the district to run for office. Applicant must only be a resident of Ohio.

Kenderes 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 enjoys a 9.7% Republican advantage based on statewide partisan voting results over the past decade. Joyce won the 2022 election by 23.5% against Democrat Matt Kilboy.

The seat is considered safe for Republicans.