Trending
WARREN -- Law Director Gregory V. Hicks may have spent more money in the weeks leading into the May 7 election than his challenger, but in the latest campaign finance reporting cycle, he was woefully outspent in his unsuccessful bid to keep his job.
Reports show Hicks spent $31,324 in the period of Jan. 1 to June 7. That's $32,073 less than eventual winner Warren Safety Service Director Enzo Cantalamessa spent to secure the Democratic nomination.
Hicks spent $8,557 and raised $3,000 in the final weeks heading toward Election Day compared to $43,384 spent and $3,250 raised by Cantalamessa over the same period -- April 18 to June 7, according to post-primary reports filed with the Trumbull County Board of Elections.
Both also reported loans in the final days. Hicks loaned himself $4,000 and Cantalamessa, $15,000. Cantalamessa also received a $10,000 loan from his mother, Michelina Cantalamessa, the report shows.
Hicks reports his campaign has outstanding loans of $38,329 and Cantalamessa's campaign, $34,000.
Hicks, who received 44.6 percent of the vote to Cantalamessa's 55.4 percent, has a campaign balance of $615 and Cantalamessa, $2,244.
Some of the notable contributions to Hicks in the period were $1,000 from Gary Crandell of Warren and $500 each from the political action committee of the Frost Brown Todd law firm, Robert Kruppa of Warren and the election committee of Trumbull County Engineer Randy Smith.
His spending included $6,200 to Mill Creek Media in Boardman; $1,515 to the Tribune Chronicle; and $732 to Reada Global LLC in Boardman for media and advertising.
Some of the notable contributions to Cantalamessa were $2,500 from the election committee of his brother, Mauro Cantalamessa, a Trumbull County commissioner, and $300 from Diana Whetstone of Warren.
Cantalamessa's spending included $21,600 to a Youngstown television station for media buys and $6,000 to Spectrum for a cable media buy; $3,750 to Clear Choice Creative in Warren for commercials; $5,264 to Youngstown Letter for mailings; $2,236 to J. Saul Campbell and Co. in Warren for promotions; and $2,000 to Data Genomix for a page like campaign.
Cantalamessa is unopposed in the November election.
All candidates on the May ballot were required to file a post-primary report with the elections board. Some of other notable reports include:
• Steven Mientkiewicz, Niles mayor, raised $950 and spent $692. He also reported $2,200 in in-kind contributions and has a balance of $1,130. He beat challenger Jimmy DePasquale 70 percent to 30 percent. DePasquale had not filed a report by Monday afternoon.
• Ben Kyle, who won the Democratic nomination for mayor of Hubbard, raised $1,175 and spent $3,597. He also received in-kind donations worth $1,466, an outstanding loan of $5,000 and reports a balance of $708. His challenger, Tim O'Hara, Hubbard Second Ward councilman, did not file a report by Monday afternoon. Kyle won with 68 percent of the vote.
• Doug Sollitto, who with 64 percent of the vote won the Democratic nomination in the 1st Ward in Niles over incumbent P.J. Kearney, reported $320 in in-kind contributions, but his report did not explain the contributions. Kearney did not file a report as of Monday.
• Greg Greathouse, winner of the Democratic nomination in Warren's 3rd Ward race, reported $425 in in-kind contributions, including $118 for post cards and $280 for postage. His challenger, Michael Scala, did not file a report by Monday afternoon.
Greathouse won with 65 percent of the vote.
• Warren At-Large Councilwoman Helen Rucker, who received one of the nominations for the three at-large seats, reported zero contributions, but spent $979, including a $50 donation donation to the Matthew Burroughs funeral at Sterling-McCullough Williams Funeral Home in Warren. Burroughs was shot and killed by Niles police Jan. 2 outside the Royal Mall apartments.
The rest of what Rucker spent was on signs.