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LISBON -- The most hotly contested race in the November general election also turned out, not surprisingly, to be the most expensive.
State Senate candidates Mike Rulli and John Boccieri spent a combined $412,522 in the final two weeks leading up the Nov. 6 election, according to post campaign finance reports filed by Friday's deadline.
The 33rd Senate District encompasses all of Columbiana County and a portion of Mahoning County, and Rulli defeated Boccieri, a Democratic state representative in Mahoning County, by a combined 65,531 to 59,262, or 52.5 percent to 47.5 percent.
Rulli, a Republican, is director of operations for the popular Rulli Brothers Markets in Mahoning County but lives near Leetonia, where he serves on the school board.
He spent a combined $273,745 over the final days of the campaign, including $241,288 in the form of in-kind expenditures, which are those made on the candidate's behalf by individuals or organizations.
Boccieri spent a combined $138,777.
The two campaigns spent nearly a $1 million since May -- $546,521 by Rulli and $439,141 by Boccieri.
Coming in a distant second in terms of campaign spending was the state representative race, where incumbent Republican Tim Ginter of Salem reported spending $8,739 in the final days, compared to $6,816 by Democratic challenger John Dyce.
Ginter, who defeated Dyce 70 percent to 30 percent, outspent Dyce $97,400 to $13,817 in the pre-election campaign finance reports filed by Oct. 25.
The only other local contested race was between county commissioner Mike Halleck, a Republican, and Democratic challenger Ray Wagner, Jr. Halleck reported spending $11,958 in the days leading up to the election compared to $4,106 by Wagner. Halleck defeated Wagner 64 percent to 36 percent.