MyDD has a nice handy list:
Tallies of candidate and independent expenditures in the 30 seats captured by House Democrats reveal something unusual. In 21 of those races, Republicans outspent Democrats. In most, they enjoyed the benefits of incumbency as well (name recognition, office mailings, services to constituents). To put this in perspective, in 2004, winning candidates were outspent in a grand total of three House races.
One of the biggest wastes of GOP money was Mike Whalen; they burned through $4.9 million, outspending Bruce Braley by $2 million with all those Communist Trial Lawyer ads.
But here's the truly amazing factoid: Not only did Dave Loebsack spend less than any other successful House challenger, he spent less than a third of what the next lowest new winner spent (Nancy Boyda of Kansas, and she outspent incumbent Jim Ryun thanks to late help from the DCCC).
Granted, Jim Leach was also by far the lowest spender among the defeated Republicans. But he still outspent Loebsack by $100,000, and Dave had to overcome 30 years of incumbency and name ID.
Give them credit; on both sides this race was a model for voluntary restraint. Put it this way: they each spent less running for Congress than Mid-American spent last year to crush public power - on a city ballot issue.
The DI was at the Hamburg Inn with Loebsack for one of his first town meetings. Wonder if he sat at the Clinton table or the Reagan table?
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