Political spending groups funded by an area billionaire seeking to defeat the Chicago Teachers Union in historic school board elections on Tuesday may have won their preferred president, thanks to their infusion of millions.But in several school board district races, they spent their biggest money p er vote — only for those candidates to lose, a Chicago Sun-Times analysis has found.Common Ground Collective, which shelled out the most money by far through Nov. 2 — about $7 million — spent as much as $45 per vote to sway unsuccessful district races. Most of the cash spent by its political action committee and super PAC came from powerful billionaire Michael Sacks.In District 1b on the Northwest Side, it spent $473,000 bolstering Michelle Pierre and attacking her opponent, who ultimately prevailed. That’s $43 per vote.Similar trends held true for the cash-rich Illinois Network of Charter Schools, whose $4.4 million spending also funded costly defeats — as much as $31 a vote, according to an analysis of PAC and super PAC spending through Nov. 2 and vote totals available Nov. 5.The big piles of cash that poured into the inaugural full board elections came mainly through independent super PACs that have no contribution or spending limits — and cannot coordinate with candidates. Through Nov. 2, spending aimed against CTU candidates by these two groups totaled $11.5 million. Another group consistently spending against CTU candidates,The Urban Center, bumps the total to $11.9 million. The money aims to counteract the CTU’s built-in advantages — incumbency, an army of workers and established connections with some voters who are or were Chicago Public Schools parents. But the money hardly guaranteed victory, and some candidates worry it backfired.Pierre says the public confused the super PAC spending on her behalf with her own values — and voted as many Americans did Tuesday against candidates backed by the mega-wealthy.“That definitely did not represent me,” the longtime educator says. “But that narrative was shared constantly. This narrative of billionaires intervening in elections probably had an impact.”Both groups that sought to declaw the CTU did not manage to win a decisive majority. Though four races remain too close to call, CTU-backed candidates could win as many as 10 of 20 seats.However, the two super PACs’ combined $4.6 million for Jessica Biggs for president appears to have paid off. They spent about $16 per vote, $13 of that from Common Ground, a new political group that aims to “defeat extremist efforts from both the far right and far left that seek to divide our city.”Asked at a WBEZ campaign forum about the big money backing her, Biggs, who is a current board member, answered the question by leaning on her “voting record that shows my independence.”Common Ground’s director Chuck Swirsky argues that come January, the union will be down from its current 15 members who were elected with CTU’s backing or appointed by ally Mayor Brandon Johnson, plus, their candidate for president, “Hilario Dominguez lost big — it's a clear repudiation by the voters and the kids are worth it every time."The $16-per-vote to boost Biggs is a bargain compared to some district candidates who lost.Spending on Peter Gonzales’ loss in near Northwest Side District 3a broke down to about $76 per vote. Spending on Pierre’s loss in District 1b farther out on the Northwest Side broke down to about $71 per vote. For Jesus Ayala Jr. in southwestern District 7a, each vote equaled $56 in outside spending. That race remains too close to call, with the CTU-endorsed candidate leading.By contrast the CTU spent less than $4 per vote in these winning races. CTU PAC and Our Schools PAC, the two supporting union candidates, spent more than $2.6 million through Nov. 2, according to state board of elections filings. CTU has no super PAC.Gonzales points to campaign finance law letting super PACs fund ads as long as they act separately from campaigns.“That wasn't anything to do with us, and we noticed this at the polls. People kept saying this, that we were somehow funded by Michael Sacks,” he says. “I've never met Michael Sacks … I didn't take any money from Michael Sacks.”Paralegal and CPS parent Connie Anderson in District 10b on the South Side fought her discouragement about disparate spending — about $50 per vote for her opponent versus less than $3 for her from CTU.“Every day … another ad will come out, and another lie will come out, and you're just like, ‘I don't know what I got myself into,'” she said Tuesday night, declaring victory. “Then, lo and behold, you're looking at the polls, and you're like, ‘Wait, what? People believe in my platform.'"The anti-CTU spending did pay off in a few key races, including the upset of incumbent Aaron “Jitu” Brown, an activist and catalyst behind the law that changed the board to an elected one.It also helped keep retired school psychologist Therese Boyle in her Southwest Side District 9a board seat, with anti-CTU groups spending only $2 more per vote.The $590,000 behind ads attacking Brown and promoting real estate agent LaPamela Williams, who did not return messages for comment, in West Side District 5a equaled $57 per vote.“So I definitely think the money played a role because it was not a race where they were promoting ... my opponent,” Brown says. “It was an anti-Jitu Brown race.”Contributing: Justin Myers, Sun-Times, and Sarah Karp, WBEZ Chicago School Board election resultsJessica Biggs wins president raceCTU poised to capture half of school board district seats, but loses president’s raceWhat you need to know about all 21 races ...read more read less