Mayor-elect Kirk Caldwell raised just less than $1.7 million for his mayoral campaign in which the former city managing director toppled two political heavyweights en route to the city’s top office.

Caldwell spent nearly all of it, at the rate of $10.63 per vote, to top former Gov. Ben Caye­tano, whose campaign — during which he vowed to stop the planned $5.26 billion rail transit project — generated about $1.5 million. Cayetano spent at roughly the same rate as his opponent, $10.55 per vote.

Financial reports for the final weeks of the 2012 election were due by midnight Thursday to the state Campaign Spending Commission.

Both Caldwell, who has vowed to "do rail better," and Caye­tano, who came out of retirement to run, stayed competitive in the final weeks.

Caldwell raised about $153,000 from Oct. 22 through election day and spent about $204,000 during those final days to lift himself to victory with 54 percent of the vote.

A message left with Caldwell’s campaign was not immediately returned Thursday.

Cayetano raised $150,000 in the Oct. 22-to-Nov. 6 period and spent $264,000.

Caldwell benefited from strong union support — he was endorsed by some of the state’s largest public- and private-sector unions — and contributions from contractors linked to the rail project, as pro-rail groups rallied behind him once he made it out of the primary. Cayetano’s effort was boosted by prominent local attorneys, longtime political friends and contributors who had previously been associated with Republican causes.

"I think a better, more accurate comparison would be to add the amounts the various PACs spent for Kirk and I," Caye­tano said in an email statement.

While the two went toe to toe on personal fundraising, Caldwell’s pro-rail message was propped up significantly by like-minded political action committees, which spent more than $3 million combined to defeat Caye­tano.

Among the more visible outside spenders was the Pacific Resource Partnership, a pro-rail group that spent $2.4 million, according to an amended spending report for the election period up to Oct. 22. The group’s report for the Oct. 22-to-Nov. 6 period was not immediately filed Thursday.

The PRP ads mostly attacked Caye­tano, who has called them character assassinations and part of a smear campaign to discredit his candidacy. The ads centered on illegal donations to Caye­tano’s last gubernatorial campaign and his pardons as governor, and included a mailer trying to link him to the state Republican Party.

Cayetano has sued PRP for defamation, alleging that some of its advertisements were false and defamatory.

PRP is a trade name for the Carpenters Market Recovery Fund, which is an alliance between the Hawaii Carpenters Union and contractors that use unionized workers. Its executive director, John White, has said the campaign was simply pointing out parts of Caye­tano’s record that have been documented publicly.

Other PACs that were active in the mayor’s race included Workers for a Better Hawaii, which is funded by the Hawaii Regional Council of Carpenters. That group spent $739,000 on ads supporting Caldwell and opposing Caye­tano.

The group Save­Our­Hono­lulu.com, which was supported by $150,000 in donations from Hono­lulu businessman Robert Iwa­moto, spent about $266,000 on ads in support of Caye­tano.

Another PAC, called Defend Truth, spent about $165,000 on ads supporting Caye­tano. That PAC is backed by Windward Oahu businessman Joe Pickard, who contributed $40,000 to the effort.

Most of Caldwell’s early fundraising efforts focused on raising his name recognition against both Caye­tano and incumbent Mayor Peter Carlisle, the former prosecutor.

Carlisle did not make it out of the primary. He finished the campaign having raised $740,000.