Moe spent $206,396 to win the Sask. Party leadership race: data

Scott Moe won the Saskatchewan Party leadership — and became the province’s 15th premier — despite spending less on his campaign than all but one of the other four candidates.

Candidate election returns show that the Rosthern-Shellbrook MLA spent $206,396 on his campaign, significantly less than Gord Wyant ($249,859), Ken Cheveldayoff ($248,474) and Alanna Koch ($244,981).

“I learned a long time ago on campaigns that expenditures and campaign activity aren’t necessarily related,” Sask. Party executive director Patrick Bundrock said in an interview.

“You can have a very robust campaign and not spend the maximum,” Bundrock added, noting that Moe’s “phenomenal” caucus support likely gave his election effort a significant boost.

Of the five candidates on the ballot, only Tina Beaudry-Mellor failed to raise more than the $250,000 spending limit.

Her campaign took in donations totalling $47,195 and spent $55,499.

Alanna Koch, meanwhile, reported more in-kind donations — $14,000 worth — than any other candidate.

Wyant came second with $6,300 followed by Beaudry-Mellor, with $5,109.

Bundrock said he was struck by how many people gave less than $250 to one or more campaigns — a total of 769, who collectively gave $88,578 to the five camps during the five-and-a-half-month election period.

“Those numbers are impressive,” he said.

Moe’s single biggest expense — more than $126,000, or about half the spending limit — was on digital marketing and advertising, and voter identification services, for which he paid three separate companies.

The returns show Moe spent $1,078 on hotel rooms for himself plus $8,129 on expenses and mileage for himself during the campaign, which began in August and concluded at a convention in Saskatoon on Jan. 27.

No candidate spent more than he or she raised, except Beaudry-Mellor, meaning the party — which according to the rules will receive all excess funds — is set receive $113,717 from the four remaining campaigns.

“It actually turns out that (the leadership race) is a break-even proposition,” Bundrock said.