What does a senator cost these days? Over $10M

(MoneyWatch) Getting elected to Congress is a tough and expensive proposition. Really expensive. The average U.S. senator during the 2012 election cycle raised nearly $10.5 million, which works out to $14,351 per day. Representatives were lowballing by comparison: about $1.7 million each, on average, or $2,315 every day.

The figures come from MapLight, a non-profit that describes itself as a "non-partisan research organization that tracks money's influence on politics." The organization looked at Federal Election Commission records of donations from Jan. 1, 2011 through Dec. 31, 2012.

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To put the numbers into context, under the current federal guidelines, the poverty level for a family of four is $23,550 of income per year, which is less than two days of fundraising for the average senator and slightly more than 10 days for a representative.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, real median household income in 2011, the latest figures available, was $50,054. Still, a senator raising funds would have secured more than that amount in well under a week; it would take a representative the better part of a month to do the same.

The average sales price for a new home in January 2013 was $286,300, so a single average senator's 2012 election cycle fund raising could have purchased 36 houses. A representative's was worth about 6 houses.

Senators raise far more money individually, but when you compare the total cash in play, the House of Representatives is far more expensive to elect at $734,967,300 for the 2012 cycle than the Senate at $523,822,550.

Of course, members of Congress seem like pikers when compared to the fund raising of presidential candidates. The combined campaign fund raising of Barack Obama and Mitt Romney was $1.1 billion by the end of the race.

In addition, third parties spent more than $1.3 billion in the most recent presidential and congressional races.

Image: Flickr user Sue Peacock

[NewsWorth]

I'm sure some donors probably get a worthwhile return buying our politicians, but what if that money went to seed some US Manufacturing startups?

[NewsWorth]

I'm sure some donors probably get a worthwhile return buying our politicians, but what if that money went to seed some US Manufacturing startups?

[robintoledo]

Congress is so out of touch with America it's pathetic.

[sjc_1]

We need Public Money for Public Office. Each candidate gets public money for their campaigns. Corporations and PACs can still run adds, they just can not contribute to campaigns.

[stopkillingourwilderness]

Thanks, Supreme Court, for enforcing the corporate oligarchy and corrupt crony capitalism that our government has become. How could billions of dollars ever influence elections "of the people by the people," after all?