Independently wealthy candidates win office with no political background or platform.

That would give an immediate advantage to the wealthiest candidates.

Still, a wealthy candidate willing to spend more than $3.1 million could have an advantage.

It's situations like this that have given wealthy political candidates a bad name.

He did so with an eye toward facing a potential challenge from a wealthy candidate.

That wealthy candidates can buy political offices is a formidable problem.

"But all the new mass media made it possible for wealthy candidates to reach people without knocking on their doors."

The campaign is breaking the state record for expenditures, with the two wealthy candidates having spent $72 million.

And less wealthy candidates in the past have tried to use public funds for what everyone could see were campaign purposes.

At times, of course, little can be done to protect wealthy candidates from themselves.