Rep. Steve Buyer spent more than $800,000 defeating fellow Republican Rep. Brian Kerns and four others in the May primary in the new 4th Congressional District, according to Federal Election Commission reports.

Buyer, a Republican from Monticello, easily won his party's nomination with 55 percent of the primary vote. Kerns came in second with 30 percent.

That boost still wasn't enough to close the gap with Buyer. In campaign funds, Kerns spent $326,118 compared with Buyer's $818,048. He was outspent 3-1 on advertising.