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Trumbull Co. candidates release financial reports
By Ed Runyan
WARREN
Jim Graham, the United Auto Workers Local 1112 union president, has spent nearly double that of his opponent in the Warren mayor’s race, Doug Franklin — $30,831 to $17,338.
And Graham has more left to spend during the last 10 days of the campaign — $14,551 compared with Franklin’s $6,116.
Graham, who had $10,585 before Jan. 1, raised another $34,798 between Jan. 1 and April 13, meaning he had $45,383 available, compared with Franklin’s $23,455.
The candidates reported the figures to the Trumbull County Board of Elections on Thursday as required by law.
Franklin, the safety-service director the last 71/2 years under Warren Mayor Michael O’Brien, made a loan of $5,000 to his campaign. He also received $3,000 worth of in-kind contributions (food) from Mauro Cantalamessa of Enzo’s Restaurant of Warren.
Unlike Franklin, who had no cash contributions above $1,000, Graham had 10 of them, including $1,000 each from four members of the Payiavlas family of Warren — John; John and Mary; Tina; and Anthony. Graham loaned his campaign $500.
Graham and Franklin are running for the Democratic Party’s nomination in the May 3 primary. No Republican is running, and independents have until May 2 to file.
In the Girard mayor’s race, incumbent Jim Melfi raised $14,825 since Jan. 1 and spent $6,922, while his opponent, Myron Esposito, raised $9,442 and spent $6,148. The two will face each other in the Democratic primary. No Republican has filed to run.
Melfi still has $13,945 left because he carried over $6,043 from before Jan. 1. Esposito has $3,294 left.
Melfi had one large contribution — $2,000 from Thomas Fok of Youngstown.
In the race for judge of Girard Municipal Court, Atty. Mark Finamore has outspent his three opponents in the Democratic primary. Finamore spent $55,250, including $22,750 of his own money on campaign signs.
He received $22,790 in cash campaign contributions, including $12,000 in loans from his aunt, Geraldine DiCola of Brookfield. He had no other contributions over $1,000.
Finamore paid $22,000 to Rubenstein Associates of Liberty for campaign services. He has $5,820 left.
Of the three other candidates, Atty. Jeff Adler spent the next highest amount, $27,660. Adler had contributions of $33,061 plus $2,403 leftover from 2010, and self-loans of $13,500. He has $7,804 left.
Atty. Marty Hume spent $24,072 and had contributions of $28,064 since Jan. 1, $922 left from 2010 and $15,263 left to spend.
Atty. Rebecca Gerson spent $11,150, received $8,335 in contributions plus $7,100 in self loans and has $4,285 left.
No campaign finance report was available for candidate Harry DiPietro.