The 2019 Public Advocate Primary and General Elections: Campaign Finance Deadlines, Limits, and Thresholds

03/19/2019

The NYC Campaign Finance Board (CFB) announces the campaign finance deadlines, limits, and public matching funds thresholds for the 2019 Public Advocate primary and general elections.

The deadline for primary election candidates to file their first campaign finance disclosure statements was March 15. The next deadline falls on May 24. Candidates must submit a certification form to participate in the campaign finance program by June 10. Visit the CFB website's candidate services section for a full list of deadlines, limits, and thresholds.

NYC voters may head to the polls up to twice more this year to vote for Public Advocate. The primary election is scheduled for June 25, and then a general election on November 5. The winner of the general election will serve out the remainder of the current four-year term ending in 2021. Letitia James left the seat in January after winning the NY State Attorney General election in 2018. Councilman Jumaane Williams won the nonpartisan special election and will serve through the end of 2019.

According to campaign finance filings submitted to the CFB, public matching funds payments accounted for more than 73 percent of the funds available to candidates on the special election ballot. The most common contribution amount in this election was $10, compared to $100 in previous Public Advocate elections.

As was the case in the February special election, the improved matching funds program adopted by voters in November 2018 will apply to the 2019 primary and general elections. Under these new regulations, New York City’s matching funds program provides public funds to qualifying citywide candidates at a matching rate of $8-to-$1 for the first $250 contributed by city residents. That means that a $10 contribution is worth $90 to a qualifying candidate. Candidates will be able to choose to participate in the old program, which matches contributions by $6-to-$1 for the first $175 per contributor. This is also true for the 2019 primary and general elections.

To qualify for public matching funds in the primary/general election, candidates must receive a minimum of $125,000 in match-eligible contributions (only the first $250 or $175, depending on program choice, of a New York City resident's contribution counts towards the threshold). Additionally, candidates must receive contributions from 500 New York City residents. Candidates must comply with all program rules, including the prohibition on contributions from corporations, limited liability companies, and partnerships, to be eligible for public funds.

City law also requires outside groups that are independent from campaign committees to disclose election-related expenditures to the CFB. View the updated calendar for these disclosures on the CFB website.