Independent Dan Osborn of Nebraska is among the first Senate candidates to draw a salary from his campaign since the Federal Election Commission made it easier for those running for office to use donor money to pay themselves.
Osborn took a leave of absence from his job as a steamfitter and plans to draw $7,100 per month from his campaign. The figure was chosen to replace his lost salary, which is about $48,000, plus health insurance for him and his family.
Osborn said he’s been working 40, 50 and even 90 hours per week while also campaigning. “I’ve learned that it’s almost impossible to run for Senate as a regular person who needs to pay the bills and put food on the table,” he said in a statement. “That’s why the Senate has become a country club full of millionaires, and it’s why less than 2 percent of our politicians come from the working class.”
