Bakery chief Renato "Ron" Turano of Burr Ridge, Illinois is running for senator in the Italian Senate.
How is this possible? Italy passed a new law allowing Italian citizens living abroad to choose their own senator!
The position would not be honorary. If elected, Turano would serve about half the year in Rome and draw a senator's salary, which he estimated would equal about $100,000 a year. He would have the same voting power as any other senator and expects that a lot of his work would be devoted to improving consular services, facilitating cultural exchanges and promoting U.S.-Italian trade.