Limits on public financing

§ 14-204. Limits on public financing. The following limitations apply to the total amounts of public funds that may be provided to a participating candidate's authorized committee for an election cycle:

1. In any primary election, receipt of public funds by participating candidates and by their participating committees shall not exceed:

(a) for Governor and Lieutenant Governor (combined) $3,500,000

(b) for Attorney General or Comptroller $3,500,000

(c) for State Senator $375,000

(d) for Member of the Assembly $175,000

2. In any general or special election, receipt of public funds by a participating candidate's authorized committees shall not exceed:

(a) for Governor and Lieutenant Governor (combined) $3,500,000

(b) for Attorney General $3,500,000

(c) for Comptroller $3,500,000

(d) for State Senator $375,000

(e) for Member of the Assembly $175,000

3. No participating candidate for nomination for an office who is not opposed by a candidate on the ballot in a primary election shall be entitled to payment of public matching funds, except that, where there is a contest in such primary election for the nomination of at least one of the two political parties with the highest and second highest number of enrolled members for such office, a participating candidate who is unopposed in the primary election may receive public funds before the primary election, for expenses incurred on or before the date of such primary election, in an amount equal to up to half the sum set forth in paragraph one of this section.

4. Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit the amount of private funds a candidate may receive subject to the contribution limits contained in section 14-114 of this article. Any contributions so received which are not expended in the general election may be applied to the next covered election for an office for which such candidate seeks nomination or election.

5. A candidate only on the ballot in one or more primary elections in which the number of persons eligible to vote for party nominees in each such election totals fewer than one thousand shall not receive public funds in excess of five thousand dollars for qualified campaign expenditures in such election or elections; provided, however, such candidate may receive up to five thousand dollars per each additional one thousand voters over the first one thousand voters but shall not receive public funds in excess of fifteen thousand dollars total for qualified campaign expenditures in such election or elections. For the purposes of this section, the number of persons eligible to vote for party nominees in a primary election shall be as determined by the state board of elections for the calendar year of the primary election. A candidate for office on the ballot in more than one primary for such office, shall be deemed, for purposes of this recommendation, to be a single candidate.