TRAVERSE CITY, MI -- Mitt Romney is Michigan’s top choice to represent the Republican Party.
But the victory comes with a hefty price tag.
Numbers, filed with the Federal Election Commission, show Republican candidates have already spent millions of dollars on their campaigns.
So far, the top spender in 2012 is Mitt Romney.
In January alone, the former Massachusetts Governor dropped nearly $8.5 million on placed media.
He spent $2 million for printing and design and another $1 million for media production and online advertising.
Romney’s total January spending totaled $18.8 million.
Romney’s Republican rival, Rick Santorum, is doing some spending of his own.
But his totals are modest in comparison.
In January, the former Senator spent close to $1 million on media buys and online advertising.
On media consulting and production, he spent just over $450, 000.
His month-long total was $3.3 million.
Currently, President Obama is the stand-alone choice for Democrats.
He is also no stranger to campaign spending.
Obama spent $740.6 million on his way to the white house in 2008.
He currently has $76 million on hand in his campaign fund. The President’s campaign spent $17.7 million last month.
As the election season roles on, spending totals will increase.
Santorum’s February numbers are expected to jump significantly thanks to the success he experienced earlier in the month.
These numbers do not include dollars spent by Political Action Committees.
