Democrats in Congress have seen a spike in their net worth despite making income inequality a central political issue for the party, according to statistics included in an annual report from the Center for Responsive Politics.
The report released on Tuesday, which looked at the financial statements of every person who serves in Congress, discovered that the median net worth of Democrats has jumped from $946,511 in 2013 to $1.1 million in 2014—an increase of $153,489 on average per member. Republicans, on the other hand, saw a decrease during the same time period, going from an average net worth of $1,107,017 in 2013 to $1,093,279 in 2014.
The most recent Personal Gain Index from Ballotpedia—which tracks changes in net worth of U.S. senators and representatives during their time in office using data from 2004 through 2012—shows that Democrats make up seven of the top ten greatest gains in personal wealth.
Rep. Chellie Pingree (D., Maine), who entered office in 2008, had a net worth increase of more than $40 million due to her four-year marriage to billionaire financier Donald Sussman. The pair announced in September that they are divorcing. Rep. Patrick Murphy (D., Fla.) joined Congress in 2012 and saw his net worth increase by $2,979,329. Additionally, Rep. Mark Veasey’s (D., Texas) net worth has gone up by $208,078, or 994 percent, since being elected in 2012.
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