Super Tuesday: How Much Did Republicans Spend On Television Per Delegate?

Mitt Romney emerged from Super Tuesday the winner of a majority of delegates -- 208 -- from the 11 states that went to vote. Winning those delegates, though, cost both his campaign and a super PAC supporting him a pretty penny on television advertisements. His campaign and the super PAC Restore Our Future combined to spend $36,380 on advertising per delegate won on Tuesday.

Television advertising is usually the biggest expense of a presidential campaign. This year candidates have seen that spending augmented, or in many cases, wholly outsourced, to allied super PACs that are not subject to fundraising limitations. On Super Tuesday, the candidates and the super PACs that support them combined to spend a little more than $12 million on television advertising, according to NBC First Read.

Newt Gingrich and Winning Our Future, the super PAC that supports his candidacy, spent the most on television ads per delegate -- slightly higher than former Massachusetts Gov. Romney -- with a rate of $38,541 per delegate won. Former House Speaker Gingrich's campaign and Winning Our Future spent $2.775 million on television ads across the 11 Super Tuesday states -- mostly paid for by the super PAC and concentrated in Georgia, Oklahoma, and Tennessee -- to win 72 delegates.

Last night's runner-up, former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.), combined with the super PAC Red White And Blue Fund to spend $1.596 on television ads, almost entirely concentrated in Ohio. He spent $19,000 for each of the 84 delegates won on Super Tuesday.

Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) brought up the rear with very little television spending and the fewest number of delegates. His campaign and the super PAC aligned with it, Endorse Liberty, spent only $102,000 on ads in the Super Tuesday states and took home 21 delegates.

Comments

[Skago]

09:19 PM on 03/07/2012

How much did the Democrats spend on ads attacking Romney in Ohio? Friends of mine in Ohio said there were lots of ads by the Dems in Ohio leading up to Super Tuesday.

[CharlieVer]

06:46 AM on 03/08/2012

$577,000 is the TOTAL spent by Democratic Super-PACs. Far less than any the other candidates. Thank you google.

[john rajah]

09:07 PM on 03/07/2012

Not to worry about the money.

There is sufficient from Citizens United

[phoebe54]

06:58 PM on 03/07/2012

There sure is a lot of money flying around in this pre-election race. All of these uber rich folks are donating millions so their candidate will be elected, yet they wince and cry and scream when someone asks them to pay 3.5% more federal income tax. Ever wonder why they're willing to donate so much? Ever wonder what the payback is (because with all that money, there must be a payback)? Check this out: http://www.owen.vanderbilt.edu/vanderbilt/faculty-and-research/vanderbilt-business-inbrief/campaign-contributions-boost-roi.cfm

[alice sophia]

06:12 PM on 03/07/2012

And no way will Willard ever go into any of his money----he didn't even do that at Bain. I thought I was hallucinating when I saw him ask for as little as a $3 donation at one of his rallys. Since he told a roomful of people he was unemployed, too, maybe Ann is not lying when she whines that she doesn't feel wealthy. Getting to know Ann has the same effect as getting to know Mitt----one is as obnoxious as the other.

[Skago]

09:21 PM on 03/07/2012

Really? She said her wealth didn't matter after going through MS and breast cancer. She said she cared more about family and friends than money. You stupid liberals are so desperate to make people look bad you even twist the words of someone talking sincerely about going through 2 terrible illnesses.

[CharlieVer]

06:39 AM on 03/08/2012

She certainly cares about HER family and friends. Doesn't give a rat's ARSE about YOUR family or friends. I can't speak for the far-left liberals (the far-left liberals are too busy screaming how Obama is just as bad as the Republicans) but we moderates can plainly see that it doesn't take much to make Mitt Romney look bad.

[CharlieVer]

06:42 AM on 03/08/2012

It is WONDERFUL however that she can afford any health care treatment necessary for her MS and breast cancer. Her cancer is now cured and her MS gives her virtually no trouble. Many of us are not so fortunate as to be able to afford health care, even though we work two or three jobs.

[Kahauna]

04:39 PM on 03/07/2012

It's like an old traveling carnival...Gingrich is the ringmaster/shill, trying to draw you in. Santorum is guy in the crowd, trying to pick your pocket while Romney's up on the stage, trying to sell you the snake oil.

[bonypix]

03:51 PM on 03/07/2012

Seem like Romney is buying the nomination? May be trying, but Santorum is getting more bang for the buck and when the South votes, I think Romney may start slip sliding away. After all, why are we seeing folks all gung ho for the reject of 4 years ago? He hasn't changed.......

[Lingering Chlorine]

03:45 PM on 03/07/2012

If you want the best, most professional candidates to run for president or political campaigns to become good-natured as opposed to the negative campaign we are seeing today, cap the amount of money one can spend on elections. This way every dollar is important. Instead of wasting money on running negative adds that do nothing to edify their audience on the qualifications of the candidate paying for the ad, each dollar will be spent more wisely. The most qualified candidates will in turn not be deterred from the elections in concern for themselves and their families. Super-Pacs will no longer be able to make a difference in the campaign. Every delegate will be earned by the qualifications of the candidate running instead of his or her wealth. Of course, money can only influence elections to a certain extent.

[rickie007]

03:35 PM on 03/07/2012

wow wow roughly 105 million dollars spent on super tuesday what a waste of good money 3 of the 4 canidates wasting there time and money isn's willard in the lead but the right really dont wan't him or not sure ,the system to run needs to be over hauled badly.no one has the backbone to do so.lets hope any good idea's commenters?