Ohio has a special — and unusual — congressional election next week.
Or did you forget?
Republican Michael Rulli, a state senator, and Democrat Michael Kripchak, a restaurant server and consultant, are facing off June 11 to represent Ohio's 6th Congressional District. They each won two primary elections on March 19 to be their party's nominees for not only the special election but also the general election in the fall.
The winner of the special election will serve out the remainder of former U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson's term, which runs through the end of the year. Johnson, a Republican, resigned earlier this year to become president of Youngstown State University.
Gov. Mike DeWine opted to schedule the unusual June election so residents living in the district don't go too long without a representative in Congress.
The winner of the November general election will earn a full two-year term in Congress.
Because most of the district is Republican-leaning, Rulli, a state senator since 2018, is strongly favored to win the June 11 and Nov. 5 elections.
The 6th Congressional District covers eastern and southern Stark County, as well as nearly all of Perry Township. It also covers parts or all of 11 counties — including portions of Tuscarawas and all of Carroll — running from Youngstown to Marietta along the eastern side of the state.
Early voting began May 14, and turnout is expected to be light.
Related: Michael Rulli defeats Reggie Stoltzfus in 6th GOP Congressional primaries
Who are the candidates for Ohio's 6th Congressional District special election?
Rulli, 55, a married father of two, lives in Salem Township in Columbiana County. Kripchak, 42, a former Air Force officer who's single and has no children, lives in Youngstown.
The race has an independent write-in candidate, Christopher LaFont of Bethesda in Belmont County.
Rulli, a former president of the Leetonia Exempted Village School District school board, was elected in 2018 and 2022 as state senator for Mahoning, Columbiana and Carroll counties. He's the director of operations for his family's grocery stores, Rulli Brothers in Mahoning County, with about 200 employees.
Kripchak worked in an acquisitions department in the U.S. Air Force, sought to be an actor and writer in the film industry in Los Angeles, and had a startup go belly up during the pandemic. He said to focus on campaigning he has taken leave from his jobs as a server at a Columbiana County restaurant and consultant that advises clients about federal contracts.
Last week, after Donald Trump was convicted in New York City of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, Rulli called the verdict one of a "kangaroo court" that was "going to be the destruction of the republic."
Kripchak, who has said he's running to stop Trump and authoritarianism, said it seems to him a "pretty open-and-shut case.”
Related: Who is running for the 6th Congressional seat to succeed Bill Johnson? Meet the candidates
Where do Michael Rulli and Michael Kripchak stand on the issues?
Rulli, who calls natural gas "the great alternative," said he will help further develop Ohio's natural gas industry, help bring a plastic pellets plant to Belmont County and oppose environmental regulations that discourage investment. In an interview last week, Rulli said he would look into seeking federal funding for education programs that teach students skills they could use on a well pad, similar to a program at an academy for sixth to eighth graders Rulli said he helped set up.
"You know what I would do for eastern Stark County? I would love to build one or two power plants, and we could have more industry build there," said Rulli, who backs the eastward expansion of the U.S. Route 30 expressway to state Route 11.
Last month, the Ohio Senate passed a resolution Rulli sponsored that said natural gas was critical to Ohio's economic future and urged "continued investment in natural gas infrastructure to make affordable energy available to every Ohioan."
While he supports a property owner's right to lease their land for fracking, Kripchak has called natural gas a "bridge fuel" to "green tech" such as hydrogen fuel. He said the costs of fracking in Ohio will always be more than conventional drilling, and fracking in the long term does not result in lower energy prices.
His economic plan for the area is to work with congressional members in adjoining districts and seek federal funding to create an Innovation District that would attract companies and make the area into a technology hub. Kripchak called Rulli's natural-gas resolution "a meaningless statement" without the force of law.
Rulli said his resolution will encourage natural-gas companies to invest more in fracking in Ohio.
Where do they stand on climate change?
Rulli said he doesn't believe human activity causes climate change.
Kripchak said "the science is settled that we are causing global warming" such as through the burning of natural gas.
Where do they stand on inflation?
Rulli said, "I don't want to get rid of any program," but he would counter inflation by supporting cutting federal spending by each department by 2%.
Kripchak said he would address inflation by backing legislation to prevent and even reverse the consolidation of large companies and prevent private equity funds from buying up houses.
Where do they stand on immigration?
Rulli has said, "My no. 1 goal as a congressman is to close the border immediately.” He favors requiring applicants for asylum to stay in Mexico while their applications are pending.
Kripchak has said he favors the federal government to expand the capacity at the U.S. ports of entry for border officials to process applications for asylum.
Where do they stand on abortion?
On abortion, Rulli said the matter is "up to the states. I'm pro-life but the people have spoken." He referred to Ohio voters' approval in November of Issue 1, enshrining the right to abortion in the state Constitution.
Kripchak said he would support a federal law allowing abortions before viability.
“A woman’s body is not the domain of the government," Kripchak said.
Where do they stand on the Israel-Hamas and Russia-Ukraine wars?
Rulli said he favors aid for Israel after Hamas militants killed about 1,200 Israelis on Oct. 7 "because they are in dire need." But as for aid for Ukraine, Rulli said, he wants more oversight because "the American people should not fund an eternal war."
Kripchak said he favors providing defensive weapons to Israel because "they absolutely have the right to attack back. But that doesn't mean having the right to level cities and go into camps and blow up people and aid workers."
The Democrat favors U.S. aid for Ukraine because he believes the U.S. has to stop Russia from re-establishing the Soviet bloc and protect its allies to foster world stability.
Where do they stand on student loans?
Rulli opposes student loan forgiveness. He said it's "insanity" for someone who never went to college to fund loan forgiveness for someone earning $200,000 a year.
"You signed it. You took the loan out. You pay for it," Rulli said.
Kripchak, who has also supported eliminating estate taxes for heirs who inherit farms, said student loan forgiveness invigorates the economy by helping people afford homes.
Reach Robert at robert.wang@cantonrep.com. X formerly Twitter: @rwangREP.
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Ohio election 2024: 6th Congressional District preview, what to know
