The Wake County Democratic Party outspent the Wake County Republican Party by more than two to one last year to help win the pivotal school board battle.

While it's hard to say how much was specifically spent on the Wake County school board races, the campaign finance reports would suggest that the Democrats were more active in getting their candidates elected. For instance, Democrats had a target of $80,000 in their get-out-the-vote efforts for the October races.

According to their year-end report, the Wake County Democratic Party received $176,227.18 and spent $183,252.88. According to their year-end report, the Wake County Republican Party raised $81,965.98 and spent $83.089.33.

Former Wake County school board chairman Ron Margiotta raised nearly $65,000 in his unsuccessful re-election bid last fall.

In his year-end report filed Monday, Margiotta reported raising $64,902.72 and spending $61,006.11 during the hard-fought District 8 battle. The Republican incumbent outspent his Democratic opponent, Susan Evans, who raised $43,386.53 and spent $39.077.16.

But the gap narrows to nearly even and could possibly in the end be in Evans' favor when you throw in all the outside money that was spent to topple Margiotta from what was thought to be a safe seat in Southwest Wake.

The numbers keep rising in the most expensive race in Wake County school board history.

As noted in today's article, campaign finance reports filed Monday show that the candidates raised more than $470.000. The wild card though is the spending from the outside groups and the political parties, numbers which are already at $150,000 and rising.

Once the final numbers are in, the spending might hit $700,000 to $800,000 this year.

Wake County school board candidate Heather Losurdo raised nearly $100,000 in her unsuccessful campaign bid.

In her final campaign report filed Monday, Losurdo reported raising $99,207.29 and spending $98,207.83 It was a record amount for a Wake school board race.

The Republican outspent her main District 3 opponent, Democrat Kevin Hill, who raised $68,598 and spent $54,322. But the numbers look to be more in Hill's favor when you factor in the outside spending.

New Wake County school board member Susan Evans raised more than $40,000 in her successful bid to unseat incumbent Ron Margiotta,

In her final campaign report filed today, Evans reported raising $43,386.53 and spending $39.077.16. Margiotta hasn't filed his final report yet, but he had reported raising $52,748.31 as of Sept. 26.

But the funding gap between Evans, a Democrat, and Margiotta, a Republican, is a lot narrower considering all the outside money that was poured into the District 8 race.

The groups not affiliated with Wake County school board member Kevin Hill and challenger Heather Losurdo pumped out a lot of campaign mailers.

As noted in today's article, at least $70,000 was spent by outside groups in targeted mailers in the District 3 runoff election. Some of the mailers got pretty rough.

For instance, Dean Debnam, a local Democratic activist who advocates for progressive causes, didn't see any problems with the mailers his N.C. Futures Action Fund bankrolled for Common Sense Matters.

Civitas Action is going after Wake County school board member Kevin Hill for his support of what critics derisively called "Wacky Wednesdays."

This new campaign mailer sent late last week shows Hill’s picture on a faux-Wheaties box with the word “Wackos." Beside his image is written the words "Kevin Hill wanted to keep Wacky Wednesdays."

"Kevin Hill voted to keep Wacky Wednesdays," says the mailer from the conservative advocacy group. "A policy that caused chaos, and extra expense for families."

The record-setting amount spent on this year's Wake County school board elections was highlighted today by NPR's "All Things Considered" show.

The segment noted how Wake's huge escalation in campaign costs mirrors the trend of high-priced school board races in other parts of the country. The high cost and the infusion of outside special interest money has surprised both school board member Kevin Hill and challenger Heather Losurdo.

Hill noted how in 2007 he raised $6,000 and his campaign staff consisted of he and his wife. This time he's got 300 volunteers and  more than $42,000.

Wake County school board candidate Heather Losurdo provided proof this evening to back up statements on her website that she had overseen $2 billion in small business loans for First Union Bank in the late 1990s.

Progress NC Action, a liberal advocacy group, had accused Losurdo of embellishing her resume, questioning how a person with no college degree and a personal bankruptcy could have that level of responsibility. At a press conference today, Losurdo said that she had gotten in contact with Donald Senior, her supervisor at First Union, to show her statements were correct.

Losurdo also presented statements that she said Senior had made today to a television reporter substantiating her duties at First Union.

SEE UPDATE AT END OF POST

In a near duplicate of its robocall, Civitas Action is urging voters in this campaign mailer to tell Wake County school board member Kevin Hill to support the new student assignment plan.

The mailer from the conservative advocacy group says Hill voted no "on a bipartisan plan for stability, proximity and academic achievement." It also says he voted no "to parents having choice in where their children go to school."

The mailer also says that "Democrats, Republicans, the Chamber of Commerce and Wake Education Partnership support the choice plan."

"Tell Kevin Hill he should support the bi-partisan plan and parental choice — not long bus rides," according to the mailer.