MAHONING VALLEY CAMPAIGNS Warren mayor tops the fund-raising list

Two Newton Falls judicial candidates raised nearly 25,000 combined.
ED RUNYAN
and DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITERS
Warren Mayor Michael O'Brien, who has no opponent in the primary and none at least yet in the general election, led the way in fundraising reported for Mahoning Valley candidates on campaign finance reports.
Two candidates for Newton Falls Municipal Court judge, who also don't have primary challengers, were busy raising money for their November showdown.
Candidates running in the May 8 primary who spent or raised 1,000 had to file pre-primary campaign reports Thursday with their county elections board for the period between Jan. 1 and April 18.
O'Brien, a Democrat, raised 29,180 and spent 14,596, leaving him with 37,012.
O'Brien had faced opposition in the general election from real estate agent Mary Theis, a Republican, until she recently withdrew from the race.
May 7, the day before the primary, is the filing deadline for independent candidates to run in the November general election for partisan seats.
Judicial candidate
Meanwhile, Phil Vigorito, Democratic candidate for Newton Falls Municipal Court judge, raised 18,823, the most for any Valley candidate during this time period except for O'Brien. After expenses, Vigorito had 12,311 in his campaign fund as of April 18.
He will oppose Republican Larry Turner, appointed judge last year by then-Gov. Bob Taft, in November.
Judge Turner had contributions of 6,050 and a self loan of 5,000. He has 9,330 on hand as of April 18.
In Mahoning County, the pro-sales tax committee raised 23,065 between Jan. 1 and April 18.
The Committee for Our Future received contributions from various county officeholders. They include 1,050 each from Commissioners John McNally IV and David Ludt, 500 from Commissioner Anthony Traficanti and Auditor Michael Sciortino, 100 from Sheriff Randall Wellington, and 50 from Prosecutor Paul Gains.
Levy committee
A number of county employees also contributed money to the committee promoting the 0.5-percent sales and use tax for a continuing period of time on the May 8 primary ballot. The tax raises about 14 million annually.
The committee spent the money almost as quickly as it was received. It spent 20,385 with more than half of it going toward the production and airing of radio and television commercials.
In the Struthers mayoral Democratic primary, incumbent Daniel C. Mamula and Councilman at large Terry P. Stocker spent almost identical amounts of money, 3,354 and 3,335, respectively. It is the only mayoral race in the county.
Both spent a majority of their money on signs and fliers.
While they spent about the same amount and Stocker raised more than Mamula -- 4,650 to 1,500 -- between Jan. 1 and April 18, the mayor has 3,496 in his campaign fund as of April 18 compared with 1,315 for his challenger.
That's because Mamula carried over 5,349 from previous campaigns while Stocker had no money before Jan. 1.
The money didn't flow so freely for Youngstown City Council candidates, with five of them providing a majority of their campaign funds through personal loans.