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Finance report: Gains raised $42,100
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Prosecutor Paul Gains
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Mahoning County Engineer Richard Marsico
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Mahoning County Commissioner Anthony Traficanti
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Mahoning County Commissioner John McNally
and Ed Runyan
YOUNGSTOWN
Among Mahoning County elected officials, Prosecutor Paul J. Gains and Engineer Richard A. Marsico, who are expected to face Democratic primary challengers next year, raised the most campaign money during the first half of the year.
Gains, who will seek his fifth four-year term, raised $42,100 between Jan. 1 and June 30, according to campaign finance reports recently filed with the county board of elections.
The amount raised by Gains for his 2012 campaign is more than contributions to all other elected officials in the county combined.
Youngstown Prosecutor Jay Macejko announced July 20 that he would challenge Gains in the 2012 Democratic primary. Macejko didn’t raise or spend any money on his campaign during the first six months of the year.
Gains had $1,410 in his campaign account as of Dec. 31, 2010. He raised $42,100 and spent $9,489 during the first half of the year. As of June 30, Gains had $34,020. Because of rounding, the figures aren’t exact.
Marsico, also seeking his fifth four-year term, raised $15,275 in campaign funds and accepted a $2,000 loan from his wife during the first half of the year.
Patrick T. Ginnetti of Struthers announced in April that he would run next year against Marsico. Ginnetti hadn’t raised any campaign money as of June 30.
Marsico of Boardman hasn’t had an opponent since 2000.
The engineer said he borrowed the $2,000 because he needed money for a fund-raising event. Marsico said he expects to pay back his wife shortly.
“I stopped having fundraisers years ago,” Marsico said. “This is a big change.”
As of June 30, Marsico had $11,741 in his campaign account.
Commissioners Anthony Traficanti of Poland and John McNally IV, both Democrats, are seeking re-election next year.
Traficanti raised $12,637 during the first half of the year while McNally raised nothing. As of June 30, Traficanti had $11,263 in his campaign fund to $84 for McNally.
It looks like McNally has a challenger. Domenic Delmonte of Austintown filed a county commissioner campaign finance report.
During the first six months of the year, he raised $1,591.
In Trumbull County, a veteran officeholder has done his first fundraising.
During the 6 1/2 years Paul Heltzel has been a Trumbull County commissioner, he has refused to accept campaign contributions — until now.
On the semi-annual finance report Heltzel turned in last week, he reported contributions of $6,865, most of which came from a fundraising event in April.
He spent $2,742 and now has $10,927 to spend.
When contacted Monday to ask why he now accepts campaign contributions, Heltzel gave two reasons:
First, rumors were circulating that Heltzel was not interested in running for re-election in 2012, “so I figured one way to get the word out [that he is running] is to have a fundraiser,” Heltzel said.
Second, “I could use the money if I have opposition” in 2012, Heltzel said.
Heltzel vowed that he would only run for one term when he was first elected commissioner in 2004.
In 2008, he ran again and was re-elected through 2012.
Now he plans to run for a third term, in part, he said, because he wants to help the county continue to run efficiently.
Heltzel felt there were important reasons to refuse campaign contributions when he was first elected, especially in relation to the way contracts were awarded for sanitary sewer projects early in his first term.
“It was an environment where things weren’t as clean as they are now,” Heltzel said.
Heltzel raised questions about that process, and changes were enacted.
“Almost all of the contracts for the last six years have been the recommendation of the sanitary engineer” and were not awarded based on “other factors,” Heltzel said.