These are the priciest congressional races of 2018 — in one chart

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The race to represent Florida in the U.S. Senate has triggered more spending than any other congressional election this year, according to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics.

A total of $159 million has been spent on that race, according to the center’s analysis of Federal Election Commission data. Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson’s campaign has paid out $25 million, Republican challenger Rick Scott’s campaign has shelled out $66 million, and outside groups have spent $68 million. Florida’s costly media markets have contributed to making this contest so pricey, a Wall Street Journal story noted.

The RealClearPolitics average of polls shows Nelson with a 2.6-point lead over Scott, who is Florida’s governor but cannot run for a third term. RealClearPolitics rates this election as a toss-up, meaning it could go either way.

Read more: ‘The 1% never had it so good’ — what key midterm candidates are saying

Also see: How America’s top CEOs are spending their own money on the midterm elections

After the Florida contest, the second most expensive race is for a Missouri Senate seat that pits incumbent Democrat Sen. Claire McCaskill against GOP challenger Josh Hawley. It has led to $108 million in spending and also is deemed a toss-up, with Hawley leading by 2 points.

Coming in third is the Texas Senate race, which has led to $102 million in outlays and features GOP Sen. Ted Cruz running against challenger Beto O’Rourke, a Democratic House member who has spent $5.4 million on Facebook














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ads alone. It’s rated as “leans GOP,” with Cruz leading by 6.4 points.

The chart below from the Center for Responsive Politics shows the 10 priciest Senate contests:



Among House races, the most expensive is in Washington state between Republican Dino Rossi and Democrat Kim Schrier.

It has drawn a total of $26 million in spending and is deemed a toss-up, with Rossi leading by 10 points in an early-October poll, after Schrier held a one-point lead in a September survey. They’re seeking to fill a seat by Rep. Dave Reichert, a Republican who isn’t seeking another term. The second and third priciest House contests are in Pennsylvania and Georgia, as the chart below shows:



Outside of congressional races, the gubernatorial battle in Illinois has been marked by record-setting spending of about $244 million, as a New York Times report noted.

Taking on Republican incumbent Bruce Rauner, a private-equity billionaire, Democratic challenger J.B. Pritzker — the billionaire Hyatt Hotels heir — has spent $162 million of his own money and has a sizable polling lead. That’s the highest level of self-funding ever for a governor’s race, when figures aren’t adjusted for inflation. When adjusted for inflation, the Republican candidate for governor of California in 2010, Meg Whitman, former CEO of eBay














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and Hewlett-Packard














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, still holds the record.



Source : MTV