Campaign finance effort may lag
Assembly Democrats questioning launch of public system ahead of new district lines
ALBANY — Plans to roll out the public financing of election campaigns are facing scrutiny from Assembly Democrats, which could delay the initiative that has long been trumpeted by good-government groups.
State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-cousins acknowledged there are discussions on the issue as the intensifying budget negotiations continue into March.
“There are obviously conversations that are being had,” Stewart-cousins told reporters Tuesday in the Capitol. “We have not, as a conference, had a broad conversation, but I am aware of a variety of issues that people have brought up.”
Last fall, Assembly Democrats discussed potential challenges in the funding and structure of the program, according to a source familiar with the discussions.
A spokesman for Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie said there have been some concerns raised about when to roll out the public financing system and how to implement it. The potential delay was first reported by Spectrum News.
The internal debate is unfolding as the Assembly is set to have its political boundaries redrawn as a result of a court challenge into the constitutionality of the process that had established them last year.
“Certainly the Assembly is going through redistricting,” Stewart-cousins said. “It’s a part of the things that people are talking about.”
The state’s Independent Redistricting Commission is holding public hearings to take input on the new maps. The commission is expected to complete its task of redrawing those maps this year, rather than needing to hand off the process to the Legislature, Commissioner Ross Brady, a Conservative Party representative, recently told the Times Union.
Last year, the Court of Appeals ruled that the state Legislature’s redistricting maps for the state Senate and congressional districts were gerrymandered, unconstitutionally drawn to favor certain candidates. The lawsuit that sparked the case did not challenge the Assembly maps, but the ruling from the court found the process in which those maps were drawn was also invalid.
The outcome — with new maps being crafted for the Legislature’s lower chamber — means Assembly members will run on new district lines in 2024, potentially facing unfamiliar territory that could expose them to new primary or general election challenges.
If the public financing of elections is carried out in 2024 as planned, it would allow Assembly candidates to receive up to $350,000 in matching contributions in both the primary and general election. Contributions would have to be under a certain threshold to be eligible for a matching donation from the state. Candidates in Senate races would be eligible for up to $750,000 in matching funds and candidates for statewide office, such as governor or state attorney general, would be eligible for up to $7 million in matching funds.
Gov. Kathy Hochul has budgeted $25 million to fund the program with an additional $4 million to fund 54 new staff members to administer it, according to her executive budget. State lawmakers were seeking more money, but additional funds could be added in next year’s budget, ahead of the 2024 election.
The changes in campaign financing are intended, in part, to help level the field for new candidates by potentially reducing the influence of high-end campaign donors.
Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay emphasized his belief that the program is “unworkable” and taxpayer money “should not be funding the mailers, ads or consultants used in political campaigns.”
“In principle and practicality, this program should never get off the ground,” Barclay said in a statement to the Times Union on Tuesday. “The fact that it’s delayed comes as no surprise to anyone who’s followed its progression.”