Overall, both campaigns were successful in terms of treasury, as they remained within the $150 hard-money limit.

Looking more in depth, the Shapiro campaign spent $519.67, while the AOC campaign spent $1,280.00, approximately 2.5 times as much. The cost per elector differed between the two campaigns, with AOC at $3.15 and Shapiro at $1.28. Similarly, the overall cost per vote was higher for AOC at $6.60 than for Shapiro at $2.45.

Both campaigns employed similar strategies in certain areas. Both utilized free materials, utensils for Shapiro and paper goods for AOC. Both also sought to minimize hard money expenditures by using soft money for the majority of food at morning and lunch events. Spending patterns were similar as well. Wednesday was the highest-spending day for both campaigns, driven by homemade goods. General food items were also the largest category of soft money spending for both. This was effective as both campaigns could encourage student attendance during meal times. Total hard money expenditures were similar, with Shapiro spending $135.09 and AOC $132.65. The difference lay in allocation. Shapiro devoted roughly half of its hard money to food and beverages, while AOC allocated the majority to utensils.

The most notable differences were in soft-money expenditures and the hard-money strategy. Shapiro spent $384.58 in soft money, while AOC spent $1,147.35, nearly three times as much. Hard money strategies also diverged. Shapiro reserved most of its hard money for the final day of the campaign, primarily for pizza. In contrast, AOC distributed its hard money more evenly, with a significant portion spent early in the week on the kickoff.

These differences may have influenced the outcome. While the AOC campaign built momentum and maintained a lead over Shapiro from the kickoff through Thursday through a steady spending approach, the campaigns were essentially even by Friday lunch. At that point, the Shapiro campaign allocated a substantial portion of its remaining funds to pizza. It supplemented its efforts with cost-free strategies, such as a hype video, ultimately securing the victory.