Rep. Jim Oberstar spent nearly four times as much on his unsuccessful reelection bid than his Republican opponent, post-election campaign finance reports show.
Oberstar spent more than $2 million in the 2010 cycle, including $600,000 in the final three weeks of the campaign. Congressman-elect Chip Cravaack, who knocked off the dean of the Minnesota congressional delegation, spent just $556,000 over the entire election.
Oberstar also outraised Cravaack in the overall election cycle, $1.7 million to $593,000. But the fundraising numbers down the final stretch hint at why Cravaack pulled off the upset: From Oct. 14 on, Cravaack hauled in $140,000 more than Oberstar, raising $324,000 to Oberstar's $182,000.
Oberstar left his campaign war chest with $97,000, while Cravaack has $53,000 to take into the 2012 cycle.
