Candidates trying to defeat U.S. Rep. Michael Rulli, who represents our region in Ohio’s U.S. Congressional District, will have to overcome the financial advantages the incumbents enjoy.

Rulli, a Republican from Salem, raised $145,232.96 during the final three months of 2025 and had a $309,810.59 surplus in his campaign fund as of Dec. 31.

As of Dec. 31, only one of Rulli’s seven challengers, Democrat Malcolm Ritchie of Dover, has raised any money.

The primary is May 5. The general election is Nov. 3.

Rulli received $105,786.28 from PACs, $30,525.58 from individuals, a $7,229.51 transfer from the Rulli Victory Fund and $1,691.59 in refunds during the final three months of 2025.

Rulli received $5,000 maximum contributions in the quarter from five PACs: Jobs Opportunity Now, American Crystal Sugar Co, TTM Technology, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen and SpaceX. The latter is owned by Elon Musk.

Rulli’s largest expenses in the fourth quarter were $50,607.92 to the Paroska Group of Cleveland for fundraising consulting and $27,852.19 to American Express for credit card payments.

Rulli’s campaign raised a total of $746,331.73 and spent $544,580.60 in 2025.

With money carried over from his 2024 campaigns, Rulli had $309,810.59 in his campaign fund as of Dec. 31.

The Rulli Victory Fund raised $8,300 in the fourth quarter, spending it all with the largest amount — $7,229.51 — going to his candidate fund.

The PAC was created by Rulli’s campaign committee and Ohio Valley Leadership PAC, which he also controls, as a way to receive additional donations.

The leadership PAC, which files twice a year, received $10,236.12 during the second half of the year and spent $8,164 with $5,000 going to Husted’s Senate campaign.

Of the money collected in the second half of the year, $7,736 came Sept. 30 from the Rulli Victory Fund.

Of Rulli’s seven opponents, only Ritchie filed a fourth quarter campaign finance report with the Federal Election Commission. He’s also the only candidate in the district besides Rulli to file any financial reports with the FEC.

In the fourth quarter, Ritchie raised $2,338 and spent $2,919.67. Overall for 2025, Ritchie raised $11,469.92, with $3,402.87 coming from him, and spent $7,835.88.

Because of redistricting, the district’s boundaries will see changes with this election.

The district lost a portion of Mahoning County and added more of Stark County.

All of Tuscarawas County is being included in the district compared to only a portion currently. The district is gaining portions of Wayne and Holmes counties and will lose Monroe, Noble and Washington counties.

The district will keep all of Jefferson, Columbiana, Carroll, Belmont and Harrison counties.

With the November election, the 6th District will favor Republicans 63.9 percent to 36.1 percent for Democrats based on partisan statewide voting results between 2016 and 2024, according to the redistricting commission. The current district favors Republicans 59.1 percent to 40.9 percent for Democrats based on partisan statewide voting results from 2014 to 2022.

The PAC of Youngstown State University President Bill Johnson, a former Republican congressman, made $14,900 in political contributions during the second half of 2025. All but $750 to state Rep. Lauren McNally, D-Youngstown, who is running for Mahoning County commissioner, went to Republicans.

That included $5,000 to Vivek Ramaswamy, a Republican gubernatorial candidate, and $2,500 to U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Urbana, with whom Johnson served in the House.

Johnson also gave $5,000 to the Ohio First Lady’s Charitable Foundation, which raises money for Ohio first lady Fran DeWine’s philanthropic efforts, and $2,400 to the Penguin Club, a booster organization for student-athletes at YSU.

Belief in Life and Liberty PAC (Bill’s PAC) was started shortly after Johnson started as YSU president in January 2024. Johnson transferred $873,721 in June 2024 from his campaign fund, which he closed, to the leadership PAC.

It had $729,726.51 in it as of Dec. 31.

While Johnson hasn’t received any contributions since leaving Congress, the PAC continues to collect interest, including $10,922.44 during the second half of 2025.

Johnson represented the 6th District for 13 years.

The PAC largely gives money to Republican officeholders and candidates and to YSU-related organizations.

During the first six months of 2025, the PAC gave $80,000 to the YSU Foundation, which supports scholarships and student initiatives at the school.

While Bill’s PAC had filed twice a year in 2025, it informed the FEC on Jan. 26 that it would report monthly this year.