The Cost Of Running for Office

[Gregory Matthews]

The news media has informed us that Donald Trump is self-financing his campaign for President.  It has been reported that in a recent month he loaned a campaign group some $11,500,000.  On that basis it can be assumed that if he is elected President, the money will come in to allow his debts to be repaid.  It should not be assumed that he is the first to self-finance his campaign.  The following are some other examples:

Ross Perot, $72,000,000 spent to run for President in 1992 & 1996.

Michael Huffington, $28,000,000 spent to run for the U. S. Senate in California in 1994.

Meg Whitman, $144,000,000 spent to run for California governor in 2010.

Michael Bloomberg, $250,000,000 spent to run for New York City Mayor in 2001, 2005 and 2009.  When he considered running for President this year, it is reported that he was willing to spend $1,000,000,000.

Linda McMahon, $99,000,000  in running for the U.S. Senate in Connecticut in 2010 & 2012.

Richard Tarrant, $7,000,000 in running for the U.S. Senate in Vermont in 2006.

Steve Forbes, $76,000,000 in running for President in 1996 & 2000.

NOTE:  The source of the above is an article by Dave Gilson in the May/June issue of MOTHER JONES.