Report says Caruso spent $162 for every vote he got

LOS ANGELES (CNS) — Billionaire developer Rick Caruso spent $162 for each vote he received in his Los Angeles mayoral campaign, according to Crosstown LA, a nonprofit news organization based at the USC Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism.

Caruso, who was defeated by Rep. Karen Bass in a mayoral race on which he spent a total of over $100 million, is projected to receive around 421,383 votes, according to Crosstown LA. The report found that Bass spent $10 per vote, a fraction of Caruso’s spending.

As of Wednesday, Bass led Caruso by nearly 10 percentage points — 508,860 votes to 419,087 votes.

Bass was estimated by Crosstown LA to finish with 512,154 votes.

The report found that Kenneth Mejia, who beat three-term Councilman Paul Koretz in the city controller’s race, ran by far the most cost-effective campaign.