Simon Lono, unsuccessful councillor at large candidate received 8, 434 votes on a total campaign budget of around $3, 000. That works out to a cost-per-vote of $2.81.
Ron Ellsworth, who conservative estimates hold spent about $45, 000 on his campaign, garnered a little over 3, 300 votes in his successful Ward 4 campaign. That's about $13.60 per vote.
Lono was all over the news media on substantive issues affecting the city.
Ellsworth's first media interview was on election night with the softball crew at Out of the Fog.
Don't get me wrong: Ellsworth ran a fine campaign and he deserves full credit. He won; Lono lost.
But speaking as a public relations guy, a campaigner who has been around for a while and - in the interests of full disclosure - a guy who helped Lono, Simon's campaign should demonstrate the decisive impact of solid messaging and effective media relations. He went from being invisible to winning more than 8, 000 votes in the at large field of 14 candidates. There's no way of knowing what a few more bucks would have turned up in the way of votes, but...
Even in losing, Lono can look at a pretty solid return on his investment.