2010 campaigns cost $4 billion, and other fun election facts

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With some exceptions--in Alaska, Minnesota, Arizona and elsewhere--the 2010 midterm elections are finally over. Republicans took control of the House and made some gains in the Senate—though not enough for the majority. Depressing Democrats even more: The GOP won control of 18 state legislatures Tuesday. That means Republicans will be in charge of redrawing of half of the nation's congressional boundaries in next year's pivotal redistricting debate.
What else happened Tuesday? Here's a breakdown of election 2010 facts you may have missed:
• The 2010 campaign was by far the most expensive midterm election in history. While we won't have the final numbers until January, spending estimates last month put the price tag at roughly $4 billion—more than what was spent in the 2004 presidential election.
[Rewind: Relive election night with The Upshot's live blog]
• Of that total, at least $293 million was spent by outside groups, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, AFSCME (the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees) and conservative groups (dubbed by some the "shadow GOP") like the American Crossroads operation headed up by former Bush White House adviser Karl Rove. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, that's the most ever spent on a midterm election and less than $10 million shy of what was spent during the '08 presidential election.
• Who ran the most expensive campaign in the country? That would be former eBay chief Meg Whitman, who spent more than $160 million on her failed bid to win California's governor's race. Of that total, $141.5 million as Whitman's own cash, beating New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg's previous self-funding record of $110 million.



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