Incumbent U.S. Reps. Dave Joyce and Michael Rulli, the two Republicans who represent the Mahoning Valley, have significant financial advantages over every challenger, with the pair each raising six figures in the year’s first quarter, with no one else coming close.

Most of the money raised by the two, particularly Rulli, came from political action committees.

Almost half of the candidates running in the May 5 primaries for their political party nominations for the seats held by Joyce and Rulli did not file first-quarter financial reports with the Federal Election Commission.

That means they failed to raise or spend at least $5,000 during the first three months of the year.

Joyce, of Bainbridge, who is running for his eighth term representing the 14th Congressional District, raised $316,466 in the first quarter and had a $3,148,584 surplus in his fund as of March 31.

Rulli, of Salem, who is seeking his second full two-year term after winning a special election in June 2024 to the 6th District, reported raising $148,581 in the first quarter. He had a $364,008 surplus in his fund as of March 31.

6TH DISTRICT

Of the $148,581 that Rulli raised in the first quarter, $113,000 came from PACs and $35,581 came from individual donors. Rulli received $5,000 maximum contributions in the quarter from two PACs — the leadership PAC of U.S. Rep. August Lee Pfulger, a Texas Republican, and Alkermes Inc., a biopharmaceutical company in Massachusetts.

Rulli spent $94,383 in the first quarter, with his largest expenses being $20,675 to the Paroska Group Inc. of Cleveland for fundraising consulting and $16,451 to Grand Valley Consulting LLC of Washington, D.C., also for fundraising consulting.

Overall for this election cycle, Rulli has raised $894,913 and spent $638,964.

Jullie Kelley, of Monroe, Rulli’s only Republican primary challenger, did not file a report with the FEC.

Among the six Democrats whose names will appear on the May 5 ballot, three of them — Sean Connolly of Canfield, Charles DiPalma of Steubenville and Elizabeth Kirtley of New Philadelphia — did not file finance reports with the FEC.

Among the Democrats who filed reports, Adrian Vitus of Poland raised the most in the first quarter — $20,723. That included $1,401 from himself, and $3,500 contributions from both Donald Henley, of Charlottesville, Virginia, and Michael D. Vitus, of Poland.

Vitus spent $3,732 in the first quarter, leaving him with $16,991 in his fund as of March 31.

Brent Hanni, of Youngstown, raised $9,074 in the first quarter, with $5,261.04 coming from him and the rest from three of his relatives.

Hanni spent $5,497 in those three months and had a $3,576 surplus as of March 31.

Malcolm Ritchie, of Dover, who was the only Democratic candidate to raise money in 2025, received $8,197 in this year’s first quarter, with $6,675 of it coming from him.

Ritchie spent $6,742 in the first three months of the year, with $5,273 going to McTigue & Columbo LLC of Columbus for legal services.

For the campaign, Ritchie has raised $19,666, with $10,077 coming from him. He’s spent $14,578.

Including a small carryover from previous quarters, Ritchie’s campaign fund had $2,288 in it as of March 31.

The 6th District includes most of Mahoning and Stark counties as well as all of Columbiana, Jefferson, Belmont, Harrison and Tuscarawas counties and portions of Wayne and Holmes counties.

The district favors Republicans 63.9% to 36.1% for Democrats based on partisan statewide voting results during the past decade.

14TH DISTRICT

Of the money Joyce raised in the first quarter, $187,910 came from PACs, $119,064 came from individual donors and his campaign received $9,491 in interest.

Joyce received $5,000 maximum contributions from 19 PACs.

Joyce spent $428,866.04 in the first quarter — more than he raised — with the largest expense being $243,090 to Gen2Solutions LLC of Arlington, Virginia, for advertising.

Overall for this election cycle, Joyce raised $1,109,346 and spent $874,362.

Niki Frenchko of Warren, his lone Republican primary election challenger, raised $29,600 in the first quarter, with $20,000 of it being a loan from the candidate. She received 10 other total contributions.

Frenchko spent $14,940 in the first three months of the year, with her largest expense being $10,000 to Patriot Pulse of Columbus for what is listed on her report as “Facebook digital consulting.”

Frenchko’s fund had a $14,659 surplus as of March 31.

On the Democratic side, only Carl Setzer, of Moreland Heights, filed a first-quarter report.

Setzer, a first-time candidate, reported raising $10,996 and spending $3,563. His largest expense was $2,187 to Fulton Sign of Mentor for 500 yard signs and stakes.

After expenses, Setzer had $7,432 in his fund as of March 31.

Democrats Bill O’Neill, of Chagrin Falls, who said he wouldn’t take contributions, and Maria Jukic, of Euclid, did not file first-quarter reports with the FEC.

The 14th District includes all of Trumbull County and a small portion of Mahoning, as well as all of Ashtabula, Lake, Geauga and most of Portage counties.

The district favors Republicans 58.5% to 41.5% for Democrats based on partisan statewide voting results during the past decade.