Bloomberg Campaign Spending 'Off the Charts'

Billionaire Michael Bloomberg has spent a record $85 million of his own money on his re-election campaign in New York, and the figure could reach $140 million before it's over. His nearest opponent has managed $6 million. The New York Times figures Bloomberg's total for his three mayoral campaigns will be somewhere around a quarter-billion dollars.

“I have never seen anything like this—it’s off the charts,” says a Yale expert. “He’s in a league of his own.” Bloomberg may not need the name recognition anymore, but he's at least stimulating the local economy by pumping in $1 million a day. Much goes to advertising, but other expenditures include $322,521 on food, $293,953 on transportation, $176,066 on furniture, and $39,858 on parking. (More Mayor Bloomberg stories.)