Reid-Ensign among the most expensive Senate races ever

Monday, Nov. 23, 1998 | 2:25 a.m.

Reid reported spending $4.6 million, and Ensign spent $2.7 million for a grand total of $7.3 million as of mid-October.

Reid and Ensign were far and away the biggest spenders in terms of votes garnered. Reid spent the most of any candidate per vote - $22.02. The next biggest spender was Ensign, spending $13.14 per vote. Sen. Alfonse D'Amato, R-N.Y., was third at $11.66 per vote.

D'Amato participated in the most expensive race in the nation - $36 million. He raised $22.6 million but was defeated by Rep. Charles Schumer, who raised a relatively paltry $13 million, according to a tally by Common Cause.

Here are the top-dollar races in descending order of costliness: New York, Illinois, California, North Carolina, Georgia, Washington, Missouri, Wisconsin, Ohio and then Nevada.

In only two cases did the senator with the smaller pot of gold win: in New York and in North Carolina, where Republican incumbent Lauch Faircloth raised $9 million and was defeated by Democrat John Edwards, who raised $6.4 million.

archive