SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Nearly $3 million, or about $25 per vote, was spent in the hotly-contested state Senate 50th district race won by Republican Bob Antonacci.
Antonacci, Onondaga County's comptroller, narrowly defeated Democratic candidate John Mannion, a West Genesee High School teacher. Antonacci captured 62,333 votes, or 51 percent, to Mannion's 60,010, or 49 percent.
Antonacci and Mannion campaigned intensely for the seat of Republican Sen. John DeFrancisco, who is retiring after serving 26 years. Campaign spending hit $2.92 million. There's never been a race for that seat that has attracted as much money.
The 50th district includes a small part of Syracuse's North Side, most of Onondaga County and parts of Cayuga County.
Money poured into the race in two ways: direct contributions to the candidates and ads and other services paid for by outside groups that supported the candidates, but did not coordinate with their campaigns.
Union groups spent heavily to support Mannion, who heads the teachers union at West Genesee.
Outside groups spent more than $1 million backing Mannion. Nearly $650,000 of that came from the New York State United Teachers Union and its political action committee, Fighting for our Future.
Outside groups spent more than $451,000 to support Antonacci. Those groups included the Upstate Jobs Committee, an arm of the Upstate Jobs Party, and Balance NY, a Republican-funded group.
Antonacci brought in $775,554 in direct contributions, while Mannion raised $570,572.
The New York Senate Republican Campaign Committee was Antonacci's biggest contributor, shelling out $349,000.
Antonacci also transferred $116,718 to his campaign that was left over from his unsuccessful 2014 campaign for state comptroller.
His other big contributors included:
Daniel Loeb, a New York City billionaire hedge fund manager, $11,000;
Frank H. Suits of Cortland, CEO of Suit-Kote, a paving company, $11,000;
Kimberly Weitsman, wife of Adam Weitsman, owner of Upstate Shredding, a scrap metal business based in Owego, $11,000;
NY Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan's campaign fund, $11,000;
American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Union in Washington, D.C., $11,000;
Sen. John DeFrancisco's campaign fund, $9,913.
Mannion's campaign received $247,108 from the New York Democratic Senate Campaign Committee.
Here are some of Mannion's other big contributors:
United Federation of Teachers Committee on Political Education, New York, $12,000;
Voice of Teachers for Education, Latham, $11,000;
Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, Washington, D.C., $11,000;
Campaign fund of state Senate Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins of Yonkers, $11,000;
Mason Tenders District Council of Greater NY union, New York, $11,000;
Sean Eldridge of Garrison, founder of Stand Up America, a group opposed to President Trump, $10,000;
Chris Hughes of Garrison, a co-founder of Facebook, $10,000.