Good news from New Jersey! The Clean Elections pilot project being run in three districts is being called a success after meeting benchmarks for candidate participation. The pilot program will very probably have another run, and may be expanded to more districts or other offices. Here's an excerpt from NJPols.com on the success of the program this year:Public financing for New Jersey political campaigns is likely here to stay, now that the majority of candidates in three test districts have qualified for the 2007 Fair and Clean Elections program.This high level of participation means that the pilot program is deemed a success and will be continued in future elections. But some worry that participation is an arbitrary bellwether that doesn't accurately quantify the program's effectiveness."This milestone is a testament to the fact that Clean Elections can and will work in New Jersey," said Assemblyman Bill Baroni, R-Hamilton, who wrote New Jersey's Fair and Clean Election Law and is running for state Senate in a the 14th District. "I'm pleased that this program is continuing to gain momentum and has reached a level of success that has hushed many of its' skeptics."New Jersey first tried Clean Elections in selected districts in 2005 but saw a low participation rate. With a few tweaks to the qualifying contribution requirements, quite a lot of local press about the program and the qualifying period, and the choice to include one highly competitive district in the three running with Clean Elections have combined to make the second year of the pilot project much more successful.