Rulli campaign fundraising gains momentum
The campaign fund of U.S. Rep. Michael Rulli’s fund nearly doubled its amount in the second quarter, but has a little more than $200,000 in it as of June 30.
The congressional district of Rulli, a Salem Republican, has Mahoning as the most-populous county.
Rulli collected $258,996 in contributions during the second quarter.
Rulli, who was first elected in June 2024 to an unexpired term and is serving his first full two-year term representing the 6th District, spent $171,162.
With money carried over from previous campaigns, Rulli had $205,390 as of June 30.
Rulli nearly doubled his campaign fund surplus in the second quarter, going from $117,555 as of March 31 to $205,390 in the second quarter.
In the second quarter, Rulli received $124,500 from PACs, $60,716 from individual donors and a $73,780 transfer from the Rulli Victory Fund.
The victory fund PAC was created by Rulli’s campaign committee and the Ohio Valley Leadership PAC, which he also controls, as a way to receive additional donations.
Numerous members of Congress have PACs and leadership committees.
Rulli’s campaign committee received $5,000 maximum contributions in the quarter from six PACS, representing Charter Communications; the National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association; the American Crystal Sugar Co.; Teamsters; operating engineers; and one led by House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-Louisiana.
Rulli’s largest expense in the quarter was $50,000 to the National Republican Congressional Committee, which works to elect Republicans to the U.S. House. Rulli’s campaign fund also paid $38,223 to the Paroska Group of Cleveland for fundraising consulting, $22,377 to Grand Valley Consulting LLC of Washington, D.C., for fundraising consulting, $21,136 to American Express for credit card payments, and $10,117 to H&F Strategies of Youngstown for campaign consulting.
Through the first six months of the year, Rulli’s campaign raised $415,112 and spent $317,781.
The Rulli Victory Fund raised and spent $78,518 in the second quarter. All of the money raised in the quarter went to Rulli’s campaign fund.
The leadership PAC raised $2,936 in the second quarter, all from the Rulli Victory Fund.
The leadership PAC spent $19,791 in the quarter with $17,601 going to the Paroska Group for fundraising consulting.
Democrat Michael L. Kripchak of Youngstown, who lost to Rulli in the June 2024 special and November 2024 general elections, reported not raising or spending any money in the second quarter — just like the first quarter. He had $6,111 in his fund as of June 30.
Malcolm Ritchie of Dover filed a statement of candidacy with the FEC on May 13 to run for the 6th District seat in the Democratic primary.
Ritchie reported raising $2,520 in the quarter with $2,000 coming from him. His campaign spent $580 in the quarter with $500 listed as going to Ritchie for “in kind — legal expenses.”
The district Rulli represents is considered safe for Republicans. It includes all of Mahoning, Columbiana, Carroll, Jefferson, Belmont, Harrison, Monroe, Noble and Washington counties and portions of Stark and Tuscarawas counties.
Republican state officials will redraw the congressional district lines later this year for the 2026 election though Rulli is expected to continue representing Mahoning and Columbiana counties and Joyce’s district is expected to keep Trumbull.