If Americans want to fix their democracy, they might begin with looking at election financing, When a candidate can receive millions from an individual donor or an organization, you have to wider if there is some influence being purchased.

I know the arguments and the court cases that have allowed the system to devolve to where it is now – but the people have the authority to override the courts. Special interest groups are working hard to convince them that the status quo is a good thing.

Why am I mentioning this now? A news story outlining how a candidate in the Democratic Senate primary in Michigan had received $30 million for her campaign from a pro-Israel lobby group.

That sort of spending boggles my mind. To put it in perspective, the total spending by all candidates and parties in the 2025 Canadian federal election was about $425 million (US). In Michigan one group gives a donation for an internal party vote that is equivalent to seven percent of the cost of running a Canadian national election. You don’t think they expect a return for their money if their candidate wins?

Elon Musk donated around $300 million to Donald Trump’s 2024 election campaign. He is slated to donate $100 million to candidates in the American midterms this fall. He didn’t get to be the world’s richest man by spending money needlessly – he expects a return on his investment.

When special interests set the agenda the people are usually going to be the losers. When will Americans wake up and take control of their democracy to ensure the system and those in it serve the people not the elites?

Or is it already too late?