AUSTINTOWN TWP. Trustee race is costliest in county

The Mahoning Republican Party contributed $5,300 to local candidates.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- The race for Austintown Township trustee is the most expensive in Mahoning County.
But most of the money raised for the race is from the candidates.
Leading the five-person field in terms of raising and spending money is Lisa L. Oles. She raised and spent $17,209 on her campaign as of Oct. 15, according to her campaign finance report filed with the county board of elections Thursday. Of the amount she raised, Oles contributed $16,464, or 96 percent.
Elections board officials say Oles failed to list the money she gave her campaign as debt, and told her she would have to file an amended report to correct that.
Oles is challenging Trustee Richard Edwards, who is running a self-funded campaign. Edwards has contributed $2,290 to his campaign.
Sam Swoger, another trustee candidate, raised $3,324 toward his campaign from contributors. He also gave his campaign a $1,000 loan, and received $836 in in-kind contributions. He was the only Austintown trustee candidate to have money in his campaign fund, $3,267, as of Oct. 15.
Didn't file reports
Two other trustee candidates didn't file financial reports with the elections board. Candidates who do not raise or spend at least $1,000 weren't required to file pre-election financial reports by Thursday's deadline.
The Mahoning County Republican Party has contributed $5,300 to candidates running for seats in Youngstown and Boardman, with Tracey S. Monroe-Winbush, who is seeking the Youngstown City Council presidency, getting the largest contribution, $2,000.
The county Democratic Party didn't give any money to candidates running for office. But it did receive contributions from candidates -- Edwards gave $625, for example.
In the Warren mayoral race, Democrat Michael O'Brien raised significantly more money than the two other challengers, Republican Randy Law and Joe Williams, a nonparty candidate.
O'Brien, a Trumbull County commissioner, raised $19,865 between June 7 and Oct. 15, while Law collected $1,235, and Williams received $228.
skolnick@vindy.com