Anne Arundel County Has a Public Campaign Finance System
One of the first major decisions every candidate for County Executive will make this election cycle is whether or not to participate in this new system that empowers community voices and reduces the influence of big monied interests in our elections.
We should all pay attention to what they choose.
James is in.
Why it Matters
The influence of big monied interests in our local elections corrupts our system in at least three ways.
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1. It filters out candidates before voters get to have their say at the ballot box.
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The candidates that voters get to choose from when they vote have been pre-vetted and in many cases selected by corporations and other large donors. If a candidate can’t raise enough money, then they don’t have the resources to get their message out and run viable campaigns. Voters get the final say, but only after the corporations and large donors are satisfied that all of the options will perpetuate the current system.
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Have you ever not liked any of the options on your ballot? This is a big part of the reason why.
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2. The focus on fundraising distracts elected officials from doing their jobs.
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Have you ever felt that elected officials only come around or are interested in you right before an election, and that they don't pay you the same level of attention when they are actually governing? The focus on fundraising often comes at the expense of community and constituent issues.
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3. It influences the decisions of lawmakers by giving much more weight to the interests of large donors compared to those of their general constituents.
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When ​​an elected official votes to benefit their corporate donors over their constituents, communities are left wondering if they ever even had a chance to have their voices heard.
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This is corruption at the systems level, and we have to stop it.
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Local governments can lead on this issue, and Anne Arundel County is doing just that. In 2023, County Executive Pittman introduced and the County Council voted to pass Bill 25-23, which created a public campaign finance option for County Executive and County Council elections. This system is designed to reduce the influence of large and corporate donors and amplify the voices of county residents in our elections.
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It's a proven system that has been used by both Democrats and Republicans. Former Governor Larry Hogan used Maryland's public finance system to run and win his first term as Governor, and County Executive Candidates in neighboring jurisdictions have utilized their public campaign finance systems.
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This system is designed to both reduce the influence of large and corporate donors and to amplify the voices of county residents in our elections. With your support, we can give the power back to our communities in Anne Arundel County.
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When was the public campaign finance system established in Anne Arundel County?This system was created by Bill 25-23, which passed the County Council on June 5, 2023 and was signed into law by County Executive Pittman on June 13th.
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Is this new system voluntary?Yes. Candidates must choose to participate.
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What restrictions must candidates participating in the system adhere to?Candidates that participate in the system agree to (a) only take money from people, and (b) limit donations to $250 or less.
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What benefits do candidates receive for participating in the new public financing system?Candidates that choose to participate, and then qualify, for public financing receive public matching funds based on the number and amount of small dollar contributions they receive from county residents.
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What do candidates have to do to qualify?Before a candidate for County Executive is eligible to receive matching public funds they must both: (a) raise $40,000 in qualifying contributions from county residents, and (b) receive donations from 500 individual county residents This safeguards county tax dollars by ensuring that only candidates with a broad base of support in the community are able to receive public funds.
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Can a candidate use this system and have enough resources to be competitive?Yes. A candidate for County Executive can draw up to $750,000 from the public fund. That amount, plus what they raise in small contributions in order to receive it, makes it realistic for a candidate to use this system and run a million dollar race. Additionally, candidates in neighboring jurisdictions have used similar systems and won.
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Is using public campaign finance a partisan issue?No. In surrounding jurisdictions both Democrats and Republicans have opted to use their county's version of public financing. Additionally, Former Governor Larry Hogan used public financing during his first, and successful, campaign for Governor.
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What is the maximum donation that a participating candidate may receive from an individual?The maximum donation for participating candidates is $250 per individual. That is significantly less than the $6,000 that a candidate not participating in the system can receive from an individual, corporation, or political action committee. How many of you have $6,000 that you're able to donate to a political campaign?
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What is the minimum amount of a qualifying donation?The minimum amount of a qualifying donation is $5
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What is a qualifying donation?A qualifying donation is a donation from a county resident that is between $5 and $250
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How does the matching from the public fund work?Once a candidate qualifies, the matching works as follows: The first $50 received from an individual is matched 6:1 The second $50 received from that individual is matched 4:1 The third $50 received from that individual is matched 2:1 the last $100 received from that individual is not matched. So that means: A $10 donation becomes $70 to the candidate ($10 + $60) A $50 donation becomes $350 to the candidate ($50 + $300) A $100 donation becomes $600 to the candidate ($100 + $500) A $150 donation becomes $750 to the candidate ($150 + $600) A $250 donation becomes $850 to the candidate ($250 + $600)
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Can participating candidates receive donations from people who don't live in the county?Yes. But those donations (a) are not matched from the public fund, and (b) do not count towards the candidate's qualification for the program.
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Can participating candidates receive donations from corporations?No. A participating candidate cannot receive donations from corporations. They can only receive donations from people. A business owner could, however, make a donation from their personal account.
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Can a participating candidate receive donations from political action committees?No. A participating candidate cannot receive donations from political action committees. They can only receive donations from people.
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Can a participating candidate donate to themselves and self fund?A participating candidate cannot self fund their campaign in the typical sense. The participating candidate and the candidate's spouse may not contribute or lend more than $12,000 combined to the campaign.