Candidates Could Run for NYC Office Entirely on Small Dollar Contributions of $175 or Less
New York, NY – Candidates for public office in New York City could entirely say no to contributions of $4,950 and rely entirely on small-dollar donations of $175 or less under legislation re-introduced by Council Member Ben Kallos.
Under the current system, mayoral candidates receive 3,650 contributions of $175 or more from New York City residents in order to receive a full public match of $3.8 million, leaving a funding gap of $2.5 million to get to the spending limit of $7 million. Since these contributions are not matched with public funds, the system encourages candidates to seek non-matching big dollar maximum contributions -including from outside New York City- in order to fill the gap with as few contributions as possible. By eliminating the cap, the need for maximum contributions from big donors and special interests is also eliminated.
This legislation was originally Introduction 1130-A in early 2016, ultimately reaching 32 sponsors and heard in committee but not voted on by the Council. Now, at re-introduction, it comes with the support of new Governmental Operations Committee Chair Fernando Cabrera and new City Council Speaker Corey Johnson, who pledged support for 1130-A at last year’s Citizens Union Forum. The bill already has the support of a dozen current Council Members including Andrew Cohen, Donovan Richards, Costa Constantinides, Stephen Levin, Helen Rosenthal, Raphael Espinal, Daniel Dromm, Brad Lander, and Justin Brannan. The legislation eliminates the arbitrary 55% cap on the amount of total campaigns which can come from public dollars. By doing so, candidates will, for the first time, have a path to fully fund their campaigns with only small dollars.
This legislation was heard in March of 2017 and received strong support from 32BJ SEIU, CWA District One, Working Families Party, New York Immigration Coalition, New York Communities for Change, Make the Road, Community Voices Heard, Bridge Roots, the New York Progressive Action Network, Urban Justice Center, Tenants & Neighbors, Historic Districts Council, Strong Economy for All, Friends of the Earth, New Kings Democrats, New York Democratic Lawyers Council, Eleanor Roosevelt Legacy Committee, Women’s City Club of New York, Effective NY, Reinvent Albany, Citizen Action, Demos, Public Citizen, NYPIRG, Common Cause, and Brennan Center.
"Mayor de Blasio has called for a City Charter Revision Commission and requested it evaluate how candidates can rely more on public funding for campaigns. The City Council does not have to defer to a Charter Revision Commission," said Alex Camarda, Senior Policy Advisor at Reinvent Albany. "It can exercise its legislative authority and pass Kallos' bill, which will give candidates the option to raise virtually all their funds from small donors, matched $6 to $1 in public money."
“Big dollar contributions and those who can give them should not have more power than other voters,” said Council Member Ben Kallos. “For the first time, a candidate running for office could focus on average residents who give small donations and not the large contributions that come on behalf of special interests. In order for elections to be decided by the people, they must be financed by them as well.”
“Campaign finance reform is badly needed in New York City, where special interests continue to shape political agendas far more than they should. I am proud to be co-sponsoring legislation with my colleague, Council Member Ben Kallos, to make it more feasible for candidates for elected office to completely fund their campaigns with grassroots, public contributions,” said Council Member Fernando Cabrera.
“Right now, we don’t have a real democracy when billionaires can buy elections. Not only will this help get big money out of politics in New York City, it will serve as a model for the rest of the country. It is vital that we bring more people to the table and make it easier for everyday citizens to run for office,” said Council Member Justin Brannan.
“I am proud to join Council Member Kallos on his bill to close the big money gap. With this bill, we can make sure New York City is a place where more people can participate in more elections, without money serving as a barrier. Knowing smaller donations will be matched throughout a campaign, we benefit from a more engaged public – whether it’s the decision to run or to contribute to a hopeful candidate,” saidCouncil Member Keith Powers.
“The people, everyday New Yorkers should have the power in our City government not corporations and the rich, said Stanley Fritz, Campaign Manager at Citizen Action New York. “If adopted 1130-A will ensure the voices of regular New Yorkers who cannot give in very large amounts are heard just as loud as that of those who give max donations.”
“New York City’s small-donor matching system is a model that many cities are working to emulate to ensure everyday citizens have a real voice in our government. Therefore, is very important that the Council pass Council Member Kallos’ bill to close the big money gap - to make sure New York City’s system is a true model for others to follow,” said Jonah Minkoff-Zern, Director, Public Citizen’sDemocracy Is For People Campaign.
“New York City’s practice of providing public grants to match small-dollar campaign contributions has increased participation in the electoral process, improved the diversity of the City’s candidate pool and made inroads in diminishing the power of big money in local politics. As a political club committed to transparent, accountable and inclusionary democracy, New Kings Democrats support Int. No. 1130, which will strengthen the gains public campaign financing has already achieved, “said Brandon West of the New Kings Democrats.
“The majority of Americans agree that outside money has too much influence over our politics,” said Jon Fox, Senior Democracy Campaigner at Friends of the Earth U.S. “Strengthening New York City’s popular public campaign finance program will undercut the influence of wealthy anti-environmental special interests while also empowering the best candidates to run for office, and not just those with access to rich mega-donors, boosting diversity and accountability among our city’s elected officials.”
“New York City politics have been dominated by big real estate for far too long. We commend Councilmember Ben Kallos for his legislation to close the Big Money Gap in New York City's campaign finance system for increased transparency for the tenants of New York,” said Katie Goldstein Executive Director, Tenants & Neighbors.
"The proposal to expand New York City's campaign finance program to allow full public matching funds is an important pro-democracy reform that prioritizes New York's voters,” said Jarret Berg, Executive Director of the New York Democratic Lawyers Council. ”By eliminating the existing 'big-dollar gap', elected officials and candidates can run viable campaigns that are focused on the interests of the communities they seek to represent."
"When looking at running for office or committing oneself to a campaign, money is a necessary evil and women are too often deterred to run due to their limitations of not having the capability to fundraise enough money to win. While the New York City Campaign Finance Board Public Financing system alleviates a lot of that pressure, due to the significant void left between funds matched and the spending limit, the program fails to reach it's potential in truly leveling the field. 21 in '21 commends Council Member Ben Kallos for addressing this issue and re-introducing this critical piece of legislation. Intro 1130A would assist not only in successful candidacies but encourage more women to consider running in the first place," said Moira McDermott Executive Director of 21 in’21.
“Wealthy donors wield enormous power over our political system. By empowering small-dollar donors as key stakeholders and creating opportunities for more diverse candidates, we can strengthen our democracy and make elections fair for all of New York’s working families. WFP applauds Council Member Kallos's effort and strongly urges the passage of Introduction 1130-A,” said Dom Leon-Davis, Communications Associate, New York Working Families Party.
"By reducing big money from the political equation, New York City's existing public financing system has allowed more first time, women, and minority candidates to run for office. The New York Immigration Coalition supports further removing barriers to entry for non-traditional candidates to foster a more open and representative democracy," said Murad Awawdeh, Vice President of Advocacy, New York Immigration Coalition.
“New York City’s small-dollar matching system has helped us make big strides to ensure that working-class New Yorkers can have their voices heard equally in the political process. But there is still room to improve. This bill would make an important contribution to strengthening democracy across our city by ensuring that campaigns can run fully on small donations and public matching funds. Its passage will mark a victory for our communities,” said Javier H. Valdés, Co-Executive Director, Make the Road New York.
“This important legislation will help empower community voices and strengthen local campaigns to preserve neighborhood character,” says Simeon Bankoff, Executive Director of the Historic Districts Council.
"This change will encourage candidates for city offices to pay attention to the needs of city residents and focus their campaign on building local support," testified 32BJ.
"Will help turn up the voices of regular New Yorkers who can make small-dollar contributions - it will curb corruption and will help liberate our elected officials from the influence of big money to make good decisions that benefit all of us," testified Strong Economy For All.
"Measures such as Intro.1130-A help us address the realities of a Citizens United world. Our City – and, our State and other jurisdictions across our country – must respond by implementing measures that will attract more grassroots civic engagement through a transparent, accountable system,” testified Women's City Club of New York.
"Allows and incentivizes candidates to run campaigns entirely focused on and funded by small donors," testified Demos.
"It would encourage candidates to raise more money through matchable, small contributions. This may become even more important in future elections, as spending from outside groups such as super PACs rises. More candidates may need to raise and spend money in an effort to compete with groups whose spending cannot be limited,” testified Brennan Center.
"For a healthy democracy, the barriers to running for office must be removed so that anyone with grit and good ideas has an equal shot. It is the function of the New York City Campaign Finance Board to level the playing field through public funding. Therefore, I urge the committee to support passage of INTRO 1130-A and in so doing to increase equality of opportunity for all New Yorkers, “testified Eleanor Roosevelt Legacy Committee.
"For a healthy democracy, the barriers to running for office must be removed so that anyone with grit and good ideas has an equal shot. It is the function of the New York City Campaign Finance Board to level the playing field through public funding. Therefore, I urge the committee to support passage of INTRO 1130-A and in so doing to increase equality of opportunity for all New Yorkers," testified Eleanor Roosevelt Legacy Committee.
"We believe that Intro 1130-A will reduce the influence of the real estate industry in city affairs, to the benefit of everyone else. Every real estate developer should have their voice heard as much as anyone else. But they do not own our public streets and sidewalks and they should not get to determine who gets to use them, no matter how much money they have," testified Street Vendor Project.