Public Campaign
 | Cleaning Up |
| Connecticut newspaper The Day comes out with a strong endorsement of the way the state's new Clean Elections program has changed campaigning, and candidates, in this year's election. Praising the reduced emphasis on fundraising and potential to see many more competitive races, the paper says Clean Elections is off to a great start. | |
| Props to Arizona |
| Arizona's ground-breaking Clean Elections program gets a talking up in both Ohio and Indiana. Mike Becker of the Arizona Clean Elections Institute explains why the state's public financing program would be a good model for Ohio to follow, in this Cleveland Plain Dealer article and an Indiana radio station covers testimony given in the state legislature on the merits of Clean Elections from Arizona legislators and Maine Clean Elections candidates as well. | |
| Victory in California |
| Well, this is quite a surprise. California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) has signed a bill authorizing a pilot Clean Elections program for candidates for Secretary of State. Following passage in the state legislature the bill had been sitting on his desk for quite a while. Activists around the state flooded the Governor's office with calls in support of the legislation. | |
| Northern Stars |
| The New Hampshire commission formed this summer to put together a proposal for full public financing of campaigns for the state has been working away and this article gives an update on where the proposal stands. Right now they're focusing in getting data on the cost of campaigning so they can make recommendations on the amount of funding candidates receive, and where that funding should come from. | |
| Brain Trust |
| Public Campaign got great seats at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s Annual Legislative Conference Brain Trust event in Washington, DC where a panel on the benefits of full public financing of campaigns hosted leaders from both the political and social justice spheres to talk about campaigning, empowering small donors, and turning the focus back to voters. Gotta say: one of the most inspiring events on Clean Elections I have ever attended. | |
| Women on the Way Up |
| Connecticut's new Clean Elections program is having a positive effect on the number of women candidates who have chosen to seek office so the Secretary of State is calling 2008 the Year of the Woman. One hundred and two women will seek a seat in the General Assembly this year, more than any previous year. | |
| Maine Lessons |
| Joe Frolik of the Cleveland Plain Dealer talks to Ethan Strimling, state Senator from Maine and Clean Elections candidate, about what he likes about Clean Elections as part of an article on efforts to bring a similar system to Ohio elections. It looks like the most likely avenue to introduce a public financing program in Ohio would be judicial elections. | |
| Candidates Defends Clean Elections |
| A candidate who ran for a seat in the New Jersey Assembly last year using the state's new Clean Elections pilot program writes in to the Star Ledger to defend the program and counter arguments that have been made to shut it down. Pat Walsh notes that voter participation rose, and special interests seeking to make their donations were turned away. | |
| Suggested Repairs |
| Kelly Williams and Andrew Stengel of the Brennan Center call out Albany lawmakers for shooting down ethics bills that could address major areas of concern for New York Voters. The pair chides state legislators for watering down recent ethics bills and encourages a number of reforms including full public financing of campaigns, like the Clean Elections program enjoying success in neighboring Connecticut. | |
| Youth engagement |
| This weekend, I got the privilege to participate in the Mobilize.org grant summit. There theme this year is money and politics--how do you reduce the role of money or even make it a less important part of the process. | |
| Maine Clean Elections Earns Strong Support |
| A Maine poll finds more than 80% of voters want candidates to use the state's Clean Election program. | |
| Making Strides in Connecticut |
| In the arena of electoral reform Connecticut is continuing to take steps in the right direction. Connecticut Common Cause has issued a new report examining the successes of the state’s new Citizen’s Election Program. Their conclusion: the system is strong. | |
| State to State |
| This article in the Connecticut Post examines the money being raised in the battle for the House seat in the 4th district. Incumbent Chris Shays (R) is facing Democratic challenger Jim Himes and both men are taking in huge sums of money from Wall Street heavyweights. This big money war for a seat in Congress is a sharp contrast to what's going on with races for Connecticut's state legislature this year, where most candidates are participating in the new Clean Elections public financing program. | |
| Keep Going |
| Phyllis Salowe-Kaye of New Jersey Citizen Action and David Donnelly of our sister organization, Public Campaign Action Fund, team up for this opinion piece in the Times of Trenton cautioning opponents of Clean Elections to shelve the champagne for now: New Jersey's Clean Elections system may have hit a speedbump, but its nothing insurmountable. | |
| Bad Call |
| The leaders of New Jersey Citizen Action write in to the Princeton Packet to express their displeasure with the decision to suspend the state's Clean Election pilot program for the 2009 election cycle. NJ Citizen Action has been the engine behind Clean Elections progress in the state, and feel as we do that the decision to suspend the program was premature. | |
| Your Two Cents |
| Do you plan to contribute to any candidates for President, Congress, or other elected office this year? Then I have a proposition for you: give them your two cents on the subject of Clean Elections. Literally. | |
| Clean Elections Awaits |
| Byron Williams, a pastor in Oakland, CA, has written about Clean Elections on a couple of occasions and comes out again to voice his support for enacting a full public financing system for his state's elections in this prescriptive article on ending gridlock in the California legislature. | |
| Too Soon |
| Several New Jersey papers weigh in on yesterday's comments by Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts that the Clean Elections pilot program in the state will be suspended for 2009. The overarching theme seems to be that while a few legitimate fixes to the program would be welcome, abandoning it entirely because of one court case in Arizona is wrong-headed and ultimately harmful to the voters of New Jersey. | |
| AB 583 Moves On |
| More good news from California! The Clean Elections bill, AB 583, which would create a pilot program of full public financing for candidates for Secretary of State, has passed out of the state legislature after the Assembly approved the version of the bill passed late last week in the Senate. The bill now goes to the desk of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger for his approval. Stay tuned... | |
| Bump in the Road |
| Eh, well this isn't the best news I've read all day. A U.S. District Judge, Roslyn Silver - taking a page from the Supreme Court's decision on the Millionaire's Amendment - has ruled that the matching funds provision of the Arizona Clean Elections law is unconstitutional. While this has no immediate affect on the distribution of Clean Elections grants in Arizona, it may gum up the works down the road. | |
| Bills and Badges |
| A couple of interesting stories out of California over the weekend. First, late on Friday the state Senate passed a bill to create a pilot program of Clean Elections funding for candidates for Secretary of State. The bill now goes back to the state Assembly for their final approval (they passed it once already earlier in the cycle). If it passes the Assembly it goes to the Governor for his signature. | |
| Meet Your Candidates |
| This is an interesting story on the campaign strategies of three Republicans competing for a state House seat, two of whom are running with Clean Elections funds. Notice the story opens up with one candidate walking door to door to talk to voters -- there's Clean Elections for you! | |
| Next Up, New York? |
| Depending on how the state legislative elections results shake out in New York come November we could be looking at much improved odds for passing a Clean Elections bill there in the coming year. New York Governor David Paterson (D) is certainly a supporter of Clean Elections, if not the most outspoken on the subject, and state activists are keeping up the drumbeat for movement on legislation -- see this letter to the editor in Binghamton. | |
| Not This Time |
| I'm sorry to report that Alaska's Clean Elections ballot initiative did not pass yesterday -- in fact, on the primary ballot where both Sen. Ted Stevens (R) and Rep. Don Young (R) faced primary challenges none of the ballot initiatives got much love. But as they say, Rome wasn't built in a day. This is only the beginning of Alaska's fight for Clean Elections. | |
| Go Vote |
| Remember Alaskans that tomorrow is the day to vote on Ballot Measure 3 that would bring Clean Elections to your state. The last flurry of supportive letters and op-eds have hit the papers and tomorrow, Tuesday the 26th, is the moment of truth. Will candidates for state office in Alaska have the chance to nix big donors and run for office with full public financing? Only if you get out and vote! | |
| Report Card |
| The Center for Governmental Studies has released a study of New Jersey's Clean Elections pilot program and it is overwhelmingly positive. While offering a few recommendations for improvement (chief among them expanding the system to primaries and making a better effort on behalf of third parties) the Center thinks the system should be expanded and "could be a state-wide success." | |
| Letter a Day |
| As voting day on the Clean Elections ballot initiative in Alaska draws closer, supporters are getting in their last letters of support to rally Alaskans to vote for full public financing of elections and put the sordid corruption scandals that have plagued the state in the past. Here's a letter from Jim Cobis in the Kodiak Daily Mirror. | |
| CA Bill Up for Vote? |
| Word on the street is that Clean Elections legislation could be up for a vote today in the California Senate. The bill, which would create a pilot Clean Elections public financing program for candidates for Secretary of State, has already passed the state Assembly. | |
| What's Going On |
| Clean Elections got its share of attention over the last few days. The primary elections in Connecticut that saw both a higher number of contested races and a high participation from Clean Elections candidates drew this story in the New York Times about the new system that includes perspectives from several state lawmakers. Stories popped up this weekend in New Jersey and Wisconsin as well. | |
| Cleaning up California |
Calling all State legislators: California, it's time to get Clean! Over the years, California has seen its fair share of shady situations. And now thanks to the work of California Clean Money Campaign and countless activists, the push for public financing is gaining traction and Clean Elections in California is a step closer to becoming reality. | |
| Corrupticut no more |
| Yesterday was certainly an exciting day in Connecticut for Clean Elections. As party primaries were held across the state, candidates using the new Citizens Elections' Program won in 15 of the 19 races. The winners comprised of Democrats and Republicans alike, incumbents and challengers for open seats. | |
| Keep an Eye on California |
| The bill that would create a pilot program for a Clean Elections public financing option for candidates for Secretary of State in California is moving ahead in the state Senate, after passing out of the Assembly and the Senate Appropriations Committee. It's got a good chance of passing, despite expected opposition from lobbyists. | |
| Clean Elections Helps Primaries |
| Connecticut holds primaries for state races tomorrow and the Secretary of State is crediting the new Clean Elections program in part for the higher than usual number of contested primaries. This year marked a noticeable drop in uncontested races, from 71 to 60. | |
| Who's Looking Out for the Little Guys? |
| Adam Bonin, an election law expert, Philadelpia resident, and supporter of Clean Elections writes in the Philadelphia Inquirer about the iniquities our big donor-dependent campaign finance system creates and how the recent spate of rulings by the Supreme Court are short-sighted and threaten valuable laws that curtail big money's influence | |
| Sign of the Times |
| We like seeing positive press coverage for Clean Elections, and when that coverage is from the New York Times, so much the better. The Times writes in favor of Connecticut's new Clean Elections program which, in its first year, is seeing participation rates in excess of 70%, a higher number of contested primaries, and overall positive response from candidates. | |
| Limits for Indiana |
| People in Indiana are concerned about the Wild Midwest rules when it comes to campaign finance, namely the lack of limits on campaign contributions to candidates for office in the state. A few solutions to the unbridled influence of private money on the state's elections are being shopped around, including Clean Elections. | |
| AB 583 Moving Forward |
| California Clean Elections supporters are feeling optimistic about the chances for AB 583, a Clean Elections bill that has been introduced in the legislature several times but has been retooled to begin with a pilot program for the Secretary of State race that could lead to further offices being covered down the road. The bill is going to be hears in the state Senate Appropriations Committee today. More from the California Progress Report. | |
| Cash for Care |
| Another letter in support of full public financing of campaigns in New York in today's Ithaca Journal. This one, by Christine Niskanen focuses on health care and the way debate about making health care more affordable and accessible has been corrupted by the campaign donations happening behind the scenes. | |
| Clean Elections Comes First |
| Wanda Mead Campbell of Binghamton, New York has this letter published in today's Ithaca Journal pointing out the many badly needed policy decisions that will never happen so long as candidates for the state legislature must turn to special interests to raise campaign cash every few years. The only solution, she writes, is Clean Elections for New York. | |
| It's Good to be Incumbent |
| We all know that incumbents tend to hold a fundraising advantage over their challengers, but when it comes to candidates for the Ohio Supreme Court, that advantage is staggering. According to Ohio Citizen Action, incumbent judges are outraising their challengers 26-1! Time to even out the playing field with public financing for Ohio judicial races? | |
| Primaries Up in Connecticut |
| Connecticut's Clean Elections program has helped boost the number of contested primaries happening around the state. Of the 42 candidates competing in legislative primaries (almost double the number who had primaries two years ago), 34 are running with public financing. In districts drawn to lean heavily towards one party or another, contested primaries are where the real debate happens, and public financing gives challengers a chance to mount competitive campaigns. | |
| Déjà Vu, All Over Again? |
| Election reform advocates in Illinois announced this week that at least 22 percent of the individual contributions to Gov. Rod Blagojevich were from businesses that had state contracts worth $50,000 or more. The Illinois Campaign for Political Reform reported ... | |
| Avella Goes for Clean Elections |
| New York City Councilman Tony Avella is prepping a Clean Elections bill for the city council to consider that would go a step beyond the city's current matching funds program to address the influence of special interest money in city elections. | |
| Everybody Calm Down |
| New Jersey's Courier Post has given the state's Clean Elections program quite positive coverage so it's a little disappointing to see this article's headline that gets a little Chicken Little about the future of the Clean Elections pilot program. | |
| Water and Power |
| What do water rates in Casmalia, CA have to do with lucrative telecommunications mergers? According to Thomas Elias of the Marysville Appeal-Democrat both felt the influence of California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's need to appease his biggest campaign contributors. | |
| Hundreds Rally for VOICE |
| Members of Iowans Citizens for Community Improvement gathered yesterday for a rally to put pressure on Governor Chet Culver to take action on a number of issues, including the Voter Owned Iowa Clean Elections Act (VOICE) that would give state candidates the opportunity to run for office with public financing. | |
| All Eyes on Connecticut |
| Connecticut's record-level first-cycle Clean Elections participation is getting national attention. This AP story was picked up in several papers, and includes both candidate reaction to the new system and predictions from Public Campaign's Nick Nyhart about what success in Connecticut could mean long-term. | |
| Calling on Kodiak |
| Alaskans for Clean Elections took their campaign to Kodiak as part of their statewide effort to gather support for the Clean Elections ballot initiative that will be on the Alaska ballot in August. In the wake of the VECO scandal that has seen several state lawmakers indicted or marched off to prison, support for full public financing of campaigns is on the upswing. | |
| One More Qualifies |
| Another candidate in Connecticut has qualified for Clean Elections. Republican Tim Ackert is running for the state House for district 8 and collected the requisite number of small qualifying contributions to receive public financing to run his campaign. This is Connecticut's first election cycle where where Clean Elections funding is available, and participation among incumbents and challengers alike is expected to be quite high. | |
| New Hampshire Commission Formed |
| The New Hampshire legislature voted a few months back for form a commission to study the feasibility of adopting a full public financing program for the state's elections. The people who will make up that commission have now been named, and many of them are familiar faces in the Clean Elections community. | |
| Setting the Record Straight |
| A couple of good articles today on Connecticut's maiden Clean Elections experience, including one in the Hartford Courant disputing assertions that the overall number of state candidates is down this year, and this one in the Connecticut Post about the ongoing process of implementing the new program. | |
| Study Confirms Money is King |
| In the lead-up to the August vote on the Clean Elections ballot initiative in Alaska, the Alaska Public Interest Research Group has released a study confirming our suspicions about the primacy of fundraising in campaigns: generally speaking, the candidate with the most cash wins the race, and once they've won a seat, it's awfully hard to beat them. | |
| No Help |
| If Los Angeles ends up pursuing a Clean Elections law in the next year it will be without the help of the Pacific Palisades community council, which just voted down a motion in support of a full public financing option for city races. | |
| New Turf |
| The Danbury News Times covers Connecticut's first cycle of Clean Elections public financing, including record-breaking participation numbers for a first year, and overwhelmingly positive feedback from candidates and the administrators of the program about the effect public financing is having on running for office in the state. | |
| For a Win in Marin |
| Anita Fieldman questioning the paper's skepticism about the Clean Elections public financing program being proposed for city council elections in San Rafael, which is part of Marin County. She mentions the success of Portland's public financing program as a guide for efforts in Marin County. | |
| Support in Alaska |
| Well this is good news out of Alaska. Thirty-six of 46 candidates who responded to a survey by the Alaska Public Interest Research Group support the Clean Elections ballot initiative that is set to be voted on in August. The survey was distributed to 133 candidates and most of the respondents were challengers. While more support from incumbents would be helpful, this survey shows word about the initiative is spreading and people familiar with the rigors of campaigning are receptive to the idea. | |
| New Jersey Consequences |
| The Courier-Post weighs in on what the ramifications of the Supreme Court ruling on the Millionaire's Amendment might be for the New Jersey Clean Elections program. Sen Bill Baroni (R), a fervent backer of Clean Elections, criticizes the decision that "certainly does nothing to advance the cause of cleaning up politics." The 2007 cycle of the state's Clean Elections program was very successful -- a good counterweight to any arguments for it being significantly altered. | |
| Profile of Arizona Sen. Meg Burton Cahill |
A ceramic artist by training, Arizona Senator Meg Burton Cahill (D-AZ) has extended her crafting skills far beyond a college art studio to the hotbed of public-policy making in the Arizona state legislature. Her passion for community politics matured after she completed a Masters in Public Administration, and with the advent of the Clean Elections system in Arizona, she decided the time had finally come for her to run for office. | |
| Rep. David Lujan, Profile in Clean Elections |
| Rep. David Lujan (D-AZ) was always fascinated by the legislative process and worked behind the scenes for years. In 2002 he was elected to the Phoenix Union School Board which began his career as a public servant. In 2004, Lujan decided to run for the state legislature - and he decided to use the state's Clean Elections system to run. | |
| Parsing the Supreme Court Decision |
| Analysis is trickling in about the impact the Supreme Court's recent decision on the Millionaire's Amendment will have on the "rescue funds" provision of existing and future Clean Elections laws. | |
| Connecticut Uncontested Races Are Down |
| Connecticut Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz told the Connecticut Post that the number of uncontested races has been reduced as compared to 2004. | |
| Bring It Back to Mass |
| Five years after the Massachusetts legislature killed the Clean Elections program voters had supported, Kathleen Grady and Paul Lachelier, two former state legislative candidates, write to the Patriot Ledger urging state lawmakers to take their lead from their neighbors in Connecticut and restore Clean Elections for state elections. | |
| Views from All Over |
| Papers in New Jersey and Alaska are rallying behind Clean Elections, and the Albany Times-Union runs an op-ed urging New York Governor David Patterson and the state legislature to advance public financing of elections. Is it my birthday? | |
