The money spent on competitive races (races with at least two candidates) has increased by an average of 45% since 2000. “That all adds up to a pretty large sum of money,” Stinner said. “The reason I spent so much less was because I did just that.”In all, Erdman spent just under $53,000. Brewer spent $35,565.83 in 2016 with 15 media outlets, including $1,217.72 with the Star-Herald. This article is part two of a four-part series, examining the campaign spending of Nebraska’s Panhandle districts.