You can see how the system is designed to be a barrier to poor and unrepresented people.
Just poor people. You can be a black trans woman who is also disabled and a lesbian but if you can put up the fee you can run. And if you were poor enough for the fee to be a meaningful barrier, the $174k/year you make if elected is more than you were making from your old job, and so long as you save a bit of that gives you enough of a cushion to find a new one afterward (plus being a former senator opens more career doors for you).
Your state level legislators are pulling like $40k. Those are going to be the bulk of your uncontested races.
Some positions are outright uncompensated but the official has a daily stipend of $50-$150 they can be reimbursed for their spending while on official business, so like: gas and food.
Just poor people. You can be a black trans woman who is also disabled and a lesbian but if you can put up the fee you can run. And if you were poor enough for the fee to be a meaningful barrier, the $174k/year you make if elected is more than you were making from your old job, and so long as you save a bit of that gives you enough of a cushion to find a new one afterward (plus being a former senator opens more career doors for you).
That $174k is for some major federal offices.
Your state level legislators are pulling like $40k. Those are going to be the bulk of your uncontested races.
Some positions are outright uncompensated but the official has a daily stipend of $50-$150 they can be reimbursed for their spending while on official business, so like: gas and food.