Public Campaign - Press

Connecticut Clean Elections Starts Strong

Adam Smith — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 12:42:20 -0500

Connecticut’s maiden election season with its new Citizens Election Program passed its first test yesterday. Legislative candidates who participated in the program, which provides limited public funding to candidates who qualify, won 15 of 19 primary contests.

Not a trend

Adam Smith — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 11:20:05 -0500

Much has been made of Obama's ability to gather small-dollar contributions for his presidential campaign. But statistics for both the U.S. Senate and House offer dramatic evidence of the declining financial importance of small donors despite efforts to reform the campaign finance system

Arizona's Clean Elections Supercharges the Power of Small Donors

Adam Smith — Tue, 20 May 2008 15:19:38 -0500

Washington, DC--With much attention paid this election year on the growing role of small donors in the presidential race, a new study shows that small contributors in Arizona's publicly financed gubernatorial campaigns represent communities that are more racially, ethnically, economically, and geographically diverse as compared to big money donors to privately financed campaigns.

New Report Correlates Campaign Contributions

Adam Smith — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 09:18:00 -0500

Annapolis, MD-Three watchdog groups today released a new report correlating campaign contributions by electric utility companies, the 1999 vote to deregulate the electric industry, and the failure of the General Assembly since then to re-regulate. Maryland ratepayers are just now feeling the effect of deregulation.

National Clean Elections Leader to Testify at Maryland Senate Hearing

Rick Bielke — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 12:12:46 -0500

Washington, DC-Nick Nyhart, president and CEO of Public Campaign, will be testifying on Wednesday, February 27th at a hearing of the Maryland Senate Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs Committee.

Nyhart will be testifying in favor of SB 583, legislation that would bring Clean Elections, or full public financing of elections, to Maryland's legislative races. SB 583 is modeled on the successful systems in place in seven states and two cities, including Arizona, Maine, and Connecticut.

On Eve of Iowa Primaries, Money Talks

Adam Smith — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 14:14:28 -0500

Washington, DC-With the Iowa caucus only a day away and 10 months before the general election, presidential candidates have already raised nearly half a billion dollars in their quest for the White House. While many are declining to release official fourth quarter fundraising numbers until later in the month, the money story on Iowa caucus night will loom as large as ever.

FEC Should Raise Voices of Small Donors

Adam Smith — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 11:14:52 -0500

Washington, DC-Public Campaign and more than 7,000 concerned citizens sent a letter to the U.S. Federal Election Commission (FEC) today announcing opposition to Draft Advisory Opinion 2007-31 that would make it more difficult for the voices of small donors to be amplified in the 2008 presidential election.

Update to presidential public financing moves forward

Adam Smith — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 08:47:05 -0500

Below is a statement from Public Campaign President and CEO Nick Nyhart on the introduction of the Presidential Public Funding Act of 2007, legislation that would bring the presidential public financing system into the 21st century.

New Jersey Clean Elections Pilot Wins Big

Adam Smith — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 15:32:21 -0500

Washington, DC-In a show of the system's strength and popularity, all nine of New Jersey's winning legislature candidates in districts where the state's pilot Fair and Clean Elections system participated. The winners include Democrats and Republicans, representatives and senators, from all three districts where the program was available.

Overhaul of campaign fundraising takes step forward

Adam Smith — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 07:43:58 -0500

On Wednesday, June 20th, Senators Richard Durbin (D-IL) and Arlen Specter (R-PA) will speak to the Senate Rules Committee about the Fair Elections Now Act (FENA), legislation that would change the pay-to-play system that Reps. William Jefferson, Tom DeLay, and Bob Ney all exploited.