Maryland Democratic Rep. David Trone wasted $62 million of his own fortune on an unsuccessful bid for his party’s nomination for the U.S. Senate.
Trone was on Maryland’s Democratic primary ballot Tuesday against Angela Alsobrooks, executive of Prince George’s County, where Washington, DC, is located.
Alsobrooks spent about $6 million on the race – a tenth of what Trone did – and was leading the three-term congressman by about 12 points with 66 percent of the votes counted.
Trone founded and co-owns Total Wine & More and, as of October 2023, was estimated to be worth $2.4 billion. according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
The Washington Post reported Tuesday Trone’s $62 million campaign has Trone spending more of his own money in the Democratic Senate primary – to replace outgoing Democratic Sen. Ben Cardin – than any candidate in the 21st century.
Rep. David Trone speaks to supporters and concedes his Senate primary race in Baltimore, Maryland, Tuesday night after spending $62 million of his own fortune.
North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, who, along with other Republican politicians, appeared Tuesday in former President Donald Trump’s hush money trial, has the distinction of paying more per vote than any modern candidate: $28,000 per voter.
Trone spent slightly less than the $66 million that former President Donald Trump contributed to his risky 2016 presidential campaign.
The real estate developer and reality TV star poured his own millions into the race against Democrat Hillary Clinton, while receiving donations from donors and supporters, and scored a surprising election night victory.
Trump has since used donor dollars instead of his own case to unsuccessfully run for re-election in 2020 and win back the White House in 2024.
One of the candidates vying to be Trump’s vice president, North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, holds the honor of the candidate who has spent the most money per vote.
Burgum spent about $14 million of his fortune on software and technology in his 2024 presidential campaign.
Since he withdrew before the Iowa caucuses, it means his roughly 500 votes cost $28,000 per voter, The Post said.
Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg spent a staggering $1 billion on his brief 2020 presidential campaign, where he dropped out of the campaign and endorsed and then financially supported Biden.
Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg spent $1 million to run for president in 2020, only to drop out and endorse President Joe Biden. Bloomberg won the American Samoa caucus and was on the ballot in many states, paying about $427 per vote.
Democratic presidential candidate Tom Steyer (left) invested $340 million in his risky 2020 presidential campaign, probably best known for his performance of Back that Azz Up with rapper Juvenile (right) on the eve of the South Carolina primary.
Since Bloomberg’s name appeared on several primary ballots, he spent about $427 per vote, The Post reported.
He only won one race: the American Samoa Democratic Caucus.
Another Democrat who four years ago quixotically ran for the White House was Tom Steyer.
He spent more than $340 million on a campaign in which he received about 260,000 votes, with each vote worth about $1,315, according to The Post.
Steyer campaigned heavily in South Carolina and is probably best known for performing Back that Azz Up alongside rapper Juvenile on the eve of the state’s important Democratic primary, the first in the South.
But all that money only earned him third place in the Palmetto State.