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ATTLEBORO - Bill Bowles and George Ross spent more than $50,000 combined battling for Attleboro's state representative seat in last week's election.

Bowles, the winner, said Tuesday he estimates he spent about $31,000, although everything has not been added up yet.

The final accounting on the election is not due to be reported to the state Office of Campaign and Political Finance until January.

However, Bowles reported in late August that he had spent $18,609, and that was before heavy expenditures on mailings and advertising in the closing two months of the campaign.

The Democrat said the total, when all is said and done, will be about $31,000. Ross, a Republican, reported in October that he had spent $19,000. He could not be reached for comment on his estimated total for the entire campaign, but he also spent heavily in the finals days of the election.

Bowles had a tough Democratic primary against Kate Jackson, so he spent more early in the campaign than Ross, who ran unopposed in the Republican primary.

Both men used considerable amounts of their own money in the effort and got a lot of help from their parties and other political figures.

Bowles took in $1,000 from the state Democratic Party, $250 from U.S. Rep. James McGovern, $100 from state Rep. Robert DeLeo, and $150 from Stonewall Democrats of Massachusetts, a gay rights group.

Ross was aided by $835 from the Attleboro Republican City Committee, $500 from the Republican House political action committee, $300 from state Rep. George Peterson, $100 from state Sen. Scott Brown and $100 from state Rep. Betty Poirier.

The Ward 2 city councilor kicked in $1,990 of his own money, his wife Jeanne Ross gave another $500, and Ross loaned his campaign $2,000.

Bowles loaned his campaign $3,000 and contributed $2,170. Loans can be paid back to the candidate, but contributions cannot.

Bowles said his campaign was actually thrifty compared to many.

He said he was advised he would need $40,000 to $50,000 to run a credible campaign, and he did not come close.

Rather than spend money on expensive consultants, Bowles said he relied on "free advice" to keep costs down.