Watchdogs Urge $59.5 Million for Public Campaign Finance in Letter to Governor
January 11, 2024
Governor Kathy Hochul
New York State Capitol Building
Albany, NY 12224
VIA EMAIL
Re: Thank you for defending the public campaign finance law
Dear Governor Hochul,
Thank you for defending New York’s public campaign finance law and maintaining the integrity of the small donor matching program at its core.
Our groups appreciate your commitment to public campaign financing and urge you to include $59.5 million in your upcoming budget for the public match – $45 million for matching funds and $14.5 million for administration.
We are glad to see that over 170 candidates for legislative office from across the political spectrum have already enrolled in the matching fund program, including 66 Senate and 105 Assembly candidates. We believe you can make public campaign financing a big success by budgeting robust amounts of funding that will increase confidence in the program and encourage more candidates to participate.
New York’s public campaign finance law was hard-won, and we know passions still run high. We hope your strong backing will encourage all of the state’s elected leaders to give the public matching law a chance, enroll in the program, and help make it work.
Thank you again for your support for New York’s public matching law.
Sincerely,
Reinvent Albany
Citizens Union
Common Cause/New York
League of Women Voters of New York State
New York City Bar Association
New York Public Interest Research Group