Thirty years of high income (100-150K family income in today's dollars) with 10-15% saving and investing in the market can easily result in a net worth in the low millions, not including inherited investments, long-term real estate property appreciation, etc. People in their 60s have seen an incredible appreciation over the past 30 years in most sectors (Just the S&P Index itself is over 9% annualized over that time frame).
Long story, short, $2.5M is not by any means exorbitant for retirement age people with an educated and successful life.
It would be a bizarro world where we would want idiot paupers to be Senators, or even a socio-economically equivalent demographic.
I think most government workers, elected or not, would find the idea that you work in government for the money amusing to say the least.