How Did Our Elections Become Big Business - How do We Fix It.

In the 2024 election cycle, total spending hit a record $15.9 billion. To put that in perspective, if a candidate spent $1 every second, it would take them over 500 years to spend what was spent in just one election cycle. When that much money is in the air, the individual voter's voice is no longer a whisper—it’s effectively silent.Data from OpenSecrets and RepresentUs reveals a nearly unbreakable trend in federal races over the last several cycles:U.S. House of Representatives: Roughly 94% of candidates who outspent their opponents won their racesU.S. Senate: Roughly 82% of candidates who outspent their opponents won.The Cost of Entry: As of late 2024, the "average" cost to win a House seat was roughly $2 million, while a Senate seat cost closer to $20 million.While the median American household net worth stays relatively flat (around $192,000), the average "career politician" sees their wealth grow at a rate of 14% to 25% annually. For the "Top 100" wealthiest members of Congress, that growth average jumps to 114% per year. Serving 3 terms (6 years) often acts as a financial "launchpad" that the average worker simply doesn't have access to.