One Youngstown judicial candidate loans $17,500 to his campaign

April 30, 2019 at 12:00a.m.

Democratic candidates for May 7 primary file finance disclosures with elections boards

YOUNGSTOWN

The two Democratic candidates for Youngstown Municipal Court judge raised about the same amount of money from contributors, but one loaned $17,500 to his campaign compared with $1,000 from the other.

Martin Hume, a Mahoning County assistant prosecutor and the city’s former law director, raised $14,145 from donors between Jan. 1 and April 17 compared with $14,725 by Jeff Limbian, the current city law director.

Hume loaned $17,500 to his campaign compared with $1,000 from Limbian.

The two are facing each other in the May 7 Democratic primary with the winner running in November against Judge Renee M. DiSalvo, a Republican appointed by then-Gov. John Kasich to fill a vacancy starting Nov. 5, 2018. The seat is for a six-year term.

Hume spent $28,417 between Jan. 1 and April 17.

Limbian filed his campaign costs of $7,128 as outstanding debt rather than expenditures, which is what candidates typically do.

Democratic candidates for local offices have filed their pre-election campaign finance reports with local elections boards.

In the Democratic primary for Struthers mayor, Catherine Cercone-Miller, the secretary to the law director, outraised her opponent, Councilman Michael S. Patrick nearly 4 to 1.

Between Jan. 1 and April 17, Cercone Miller received $15,680 in contributions compared with $4,088 for Patrick.

Also, she spent $11,392 to $2,822 for Patrick during the same time period.

No Republican has filed for Struthers mayor. The deadline for independent candidates to turn in nominating petitions is Monday.

Incumbent Mayor Terry Stocker, who was re-elected four years ago as a write-in candidate, hasn’t said if he’ll run for another term.

The big spenders in Democratic primaries in Trumbull County leading up to the May 7 primary are Warren Law Director Greg Hicks and his opponent, Enzo Cantalamessa, who is currently Warren safety service director.

Hicks spent $22,767, compared with $20,013 for Cantalamessa, according to their recently filed campaign finance reports.

Hicks received contributions of $10,105 during the filing period, compared with Cantalamessa’s $26,125. Hicks has $1,769 left in his campaign account compared with Cantalamessa’s $17,379.

Hicks did not list any individual contributions of at least $1,000, but Cantalamessa had five. They are $1,000 each from Terrance Thomas of Community Busing Services; Samuel Covelli of Covelli Enterprises; Bill Siderewicz of Clean Energy Future; Sheet Metal Workers of Youngstown; and Thomas Bellish of Hudson, president of Buckeye Energy Brokers.

Cantalamessa also received in-kind contributions of $2,500 in food, beverages and an advertisement from his family’s restaurant, Enzo’s Restaurant in Warren, and $2,000 in food and beverages from DiLucia’s Banquet Room in Warren.

For Niles mayor, incumbent Steve Mientkiewicz spent $8,061, compared with challenger Jimmy DePasquale, who spent $2,419. Mientkiewicz received contributions of $450 and now has $7,315. DePasquale received contributions of $2,500 and now has $81. DePasquale had contributions of $1,000 each from John DePasquale and Rose DePasquale, both of Niles.

For Hubbard mayor, Councilman Ben Kyle spent $5,798, compared with Councilman Tim O’Hara’s $6,855.

Kyle received contributions of $8,154 and now has $3,180. O’Hara received contributions of $6,877 and now has $22.