Watchdog Urges Legislature to Fully Fund Public Campaign Finance

Andrea Stewart-Cousins
Majority Leader
New York State Senate

Carl E. Heastie
Speaker
New York State Assembly

RE: Please include in your one-house budgets the Public Campaign Finance Board request for $114.5 Million in FY 23/24

Dear Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins and Speaker Heastie:

We join the many organizations urging you to include the New York State Public Campaign Finance Board’s (PCFB) full budget request of $114.5 million in your one-house budget bills. 

We believe the PCFB’s request of $14.5 million for administration and $100 million for matching funds is realistic and will ensure that New York’s first-ever election supported by public dollars will inspire confidence and make the program a success for candidates and New Yorkers. 

Thanks to your leadership, in a few short years the Legislature has passed laws vastly improving voting rights in New York. We urge you to keep moving forward and take the basic steps needed so that New Yorkers can not only vote, but can also vote in fair elections. 

Polls show New Yorkers support public matching because they are concerned that very wealthy people and interests are dominating and distorting our elections. In 2022’s state elections, the 200 biggest donors outspent the more than 200,000 small donors who contributed $250 or less. 

State public matching is well underway, staffed, and working with a growing number of candidates opting into the program. The nation’s eyes are on New York’s historically important public matching program. Please fully fund public matching. 

Sincerely,

John Kaehny
Executive Director
Reinvent Albany

Click here to view the letter as a PDF.