LINCOLN PARK — More than $1.1 million was spent during the race to become alderman of the 43rd Ward.
The final vote count was tallied Tuesday afternoon, and Ald. Michele Smith (43rd) finished 79 votes ahead of Caroline Vickrey, securing a second term for Smith.
Vickrey conceded last week before the vote count was final.
Smith's campaign spent $653,757 during the race, according to quarterly campaign filing records released last week.
Vickrey's campaign spent $191,832, which was less than the third challenger in the race, Jen Kramer, whose campaign spent $272,191 before the general election on Feb. 24.
The first quarter of 2015 was the heaviest fundraising period for both Smith and Vickrey, with Smith raking in $310,285 and Vickrey taking in $150,683.
Smith's average donor during the period gave the campaign $1,089, while Vickrey's average donation was $842.
(DNAinfo/Paul Biasco)
Turnout was high during both the general election and runoff, with 47 percent of the ward's 33,483 voters having cast a ballot.
If both the runoff and general election votes are considered, the campaigns spent an average of $38.72 per vote.
Smith also was supported by the Mayor Rahm Emanuel-supported Chicago Forward Super PAC, which spent more than $78,526 in support of the alderman.
Smith, for the second straight campaign, narrowly won in a runoff election.
Smith won in a 2011 runoff by 250 votes.
DNAinfo/Tanveer Ali
In the 2011 runoff, 9,656 of the 33,483 registered voters cast ballots. In the 2007 runoff, 8,333 of the 34,123 registered voters voted.
For more neighborhood news, listen to DNAinfo Radio here:
