Poll: What Would You Do With $20 Million?

Running a election campaign is no frugal affair.

It costs money to hire staff, travel across a state, rent out venues, pay for phone services and a variety of other punitive expenditures that eventually add up to an easy few million dollars over a month or two.

And in 2012, just like years past, it's no different.

Since the U.S. Senate race in Connecticut began in 2011, all of the candidates who have jumped in have raised a combined total of $20 million through individual donations, large donations and Political Action Committee cash.

According to OpenSecrets.org, Republican frontrunner Linda McMahon has raised nearly just over $9.8 million, which his a significant leap over the Democratic frontrunner, Chris Murphy, who has since raised $5.4 million.

Meanwhile, Susan Bysiewicz, a Democrat, has raised just $2.2 million and Chris Shays, a Republican, has raised $1.4 million.

Adding all the numbers up — and including in the money raised from minor candidates — and that equals just over $20 million.

And that doesn’t include the money that the candidates themselves are funding their campaigns with. McMahon has since spent $60 million between her 2010 Senate bid and her 2012 Senate bid, as reported by CTMirror.org.

Think that’s a lot? How about the latest Associated Press story on the Massachusetts Senate Race. Sen. Scott Brown and challenger Elizabeth Warren have both raised over $47 million combined, in what’s being described as the costliest race this election cycle, according to the AP.

So, fellow Patch readers, taking into account this money raised for one Connecticut election, what would you do with a cool $20 million at your disposal? Take our poll and share your thoughts in the comments.