Fair Elections for NY Requests FY25-26 Funding for Public Campaign Finance Program

December 20, 2024

The Honorable Kathy Hochul 
Governor of New York State 
Executive Chamber 
State Capitol Building 
Albany, NY 12224 

Dear Governor Hochul,

Subject: Request for Funding Support for the Public Campaign Finance Program

The Fair Elections for New York coalition appreciates your ongoing leadership and strong support for the New York State Public Campaign Finance Program (PCFP). This vital democratic reform successfully concluded its first election cycle on November 5, 2024. Preliminary data show that over 180 candidates, spanning 53 senatorial and 106 assembly districts, received public funds.

We strongly support the New York State Public Campaign Finance Board’s (PCFB) budget request of $114.5 million for FY 2025-2026 and urge you to include the amount in your upcoming Executive Budget. This request, which the PCFB approved on December 9, 2024, allocates $14.5 million for operational expenses and $100 million for matching funds, mirroring last year’s final budget allocation. 

This funding is not merely a financial matter; it is a crucial investment in the program’s infrastructure, which the PCFB continues to hone to better serve candidates. It will enable the PCFB to hire additional staff and implement user-friendly technology to streamline program participation,  compliance, and transparency. Furthermore, the commitment of matching funds will give candidates and voters who wish to engage as small donors continued confidence in the program’s future ahead of the program’s first statewide cycle. This investment is vital for our democracy.

The recent federal election cycle has once again highlighted the corrosive impact of big money on our electoral process. New York stands as a model for reform for the rest of the nation to follow. Now is the time to bolster voters’ trust in the foundations of our electoral system and strengthen a democracy that works for all New Yorkers. We urge you to provide $114.5 million for the program in your executive budget.

We are deeply grateful for your continued championing of this essential program, and we look forward to collaborating with you and the legislature to protect and strengthen it in the upcoming year.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter.

Regards,
Fair Elections for New York Coalition

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