Pol: Start new campaign-fund laws early

The new campaign finance rules approved by voters at the polls last month don't take effect until 2021 — but City Councilman Ben Kallos has introduced legislation that would allow candidates in the upcoming special election for public advocate to opt in to the new system.

“Almost every single candidate running for public advocate is already an elected official, and only one can win. And I just don't want that many existing elected officials taking that much money,” the Upper East Side councilman told the Daily News.

The new system — passed as Question 1 on the ballot last November — set up a new campaign finance system that slashes contribution limits while increasing the amount of public matching funds a candidate can receive.

Kallos is looking to create similar changes for candidates running in special elections and other races that will crop up between now and 2021.

The marquee race among those is the upcoming special election for public advocate, which will be called in early January after Public Advocate Letitia James becomes attorney general.

“I would like the next public advocate to win on this system and show it is a good system,” Kallos said.