The multibillion-dollar 2012 election: By the numbers

In an election that generated a lot of firsts — first states to legalize marijuana for recreation and profit, first openly gay U.S. senator, the first Mormon presidential candidate battling the first black president — one fact sticks out, and not necessarily in a good way: This was by far the most expensive election in U.S. history. Neither President Obama nor GOP challenger Mitt Romney accepted public financing, leaving them free to raise massive amounts of money, and after the Supreme Court's 2010 Citizens United ruling, super PAC and 501(c)(4) "dark money" groups poured hundreds of millions into the election. And for all that cash, Obama was re-elected, Republicans kept control of the House, and Democrats retained the Senate. Here's a look at the super-expensive 2012 election, by the numbers:

$4.2 billion

Total amount raised during the 2012 election, for the presidential, House, and Senate races, through Nov. 4

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

$6 billion

Estimated amount the 2012 elections will cost when all the numbers are tallied

$3.8 billion

Total amount raised for the 2008 election, the previous record

$931,471,420

Total amount spent on the campaign to re-elect Obama, through Oct. 17

$1,022,753,733

Total amount spent on the campaign to elect Romney, through Oct. 17

599

Obama campaign field offices

300

Romney campaign field offices

1.1 million

TV political ads run since April, mostly in nine battleground states

$750 million

Cost to run those ads

100,674

Ads Obama ran in Ohio

41,162

Ads Romney ran in Ohio

219,414

Total political ads run in Ohio, including those of outside groups

51

Visits Romney made to Ohio in 2012

22

Visits Obama made to Ohio in 2012

50.1

Percent of the vote Obama won in Ohio, versus 48.2 percent for Romney

149

Wealthy donors who each donated at least $500,000, for a total of at least $290 million

$53.69 million

Amount (and counting) donated by Las Vegas casino magnate Sheldon Adelson and his wife to defeat Obama and other Democrats

4.2 million

Individual donors to the Obama campaign

2

States flipped in presidential vote — Obama won Indiana and North Carolina in 2008 and lost them in 2012

Net change in Senate seats, with results pending in Montana and North Dakota

240-190

Make-up of House before the election, in favor of Republicans, with five seats vacant

238-197

Make-up of House after the election, in favor of Republics, according to NBC News projections

Sources: ABC News, CNNMoney, The Huffington Post, NBC News, London Evening Standard, Politico