Everyone knew Republican Linda McMahon was spending a boatload of money in the U.S. Senate race, but now it's official. She spent the most money ever in a losing cause for a seat in Washington, D.C., according to Roll Call.
McMahon spent more than $50 million as of November 22, which was far more than the $17 million that Democrat Ned Lamont spent in the 2006 race against incumbent U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman. At the time, the $17 million that Lamont spent was an individual record in Connecticut.
Despite the spending, McMahon lost the race by a double-digit margin to Richard Blumenthal, the longtime attorney general.
Even after Election Day, McMahon ran television, radio, and newspaper advertisement to thank the people of Connecticut for supporting her.
The official records from the Federal Election Commission in Washington, D.C. show that McMahon provided $49.5 million in loans to the campaign, plus nearly $605,000 in in-kind contributions that covered office rent, mileage, utilities, and other expenses.
As such, McMahon's overall total of loans and contributions was $50.1 million, but that does not include any expenses after election day.
She received only $110,694 in individual contributions - a tiny percentage of the amount that she spent. With her widespread name recognition that comes from professional wrestling, McMahon received contributions from fans and admirers from virtually all corners of the country. Those included a remarkably wide geographical network that matches some of the best fundraisers in the nation, including contributions from Anchorage, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Phoenix, New York City, Chicago, Dallas, Pittsburgh, Pasadena, Philadelphia, Omaha, Tampa, Fort Lauderdale, Boise, Boulder, Baton Rouge, Binghamton, Birmingham, Cincinnati, Colorado Springs, Cos Cob, Chapel Hill, El Paso, Kansas City, Las Vegas, La Jolla, Newport Beach, Niagara Falls, Oklahoma City, Rochester, San Jose, San Antonio, Saint Louis, Vero Beach, Virginia Beach, Wichita, and Washington, D.C., among many others.
McMahon clearly could have raised more money, but she limited her contributions to a maximum of $100.