First Such System for High-Level Judicial Candidates in the Nation

Washington, D.C. - Hailing yesterday's passage of the North Carolina Judicial Campaign Reform Act by the state's General Assembly, Nick Nyhart, Public Campaign's executive director, made the following statement:

"The nationwide movement for Clean Money/Clean Elections campaign reform has taken another giant step forward. The North Carolina Judicial Campaign Reform Act will establish the country's first full public financing system for high-level judicial candidates. The state Senate voted 34-12 for the bill yesterday, following on last week's passage in the House 57-54, and the Governor is expected to sign it into law."

"Modeled on successful systems of full public financing for legislative and executive candidates in Arizona and Maine, the North Carolina act gives candidates for state Supreme Court and Court of Appeals the option of running with full public financing, if they raise sufficient qualifying contributions and agree to strict fund-raising and spending limits. The law will also provide additional public funds to participating candidates if a non-participating candidate or independent group tries to outspend them, and it lowers private contribution limits as well."

"The Judicial Campaign Reform Act will free judicial candidates from the money chase and help restore faith in an impartial judiciary, which is a cornerstone of our democracy. I want to congratulate the hardworking folks at North Carolina Voters for Clean Elections, the coalition that led the fight for this law, especially the long-distance runners at Democracy South, the N.C. Center for Voter Education, Common Cause and the League of Women Voters."

The Judicial Campaign Reform Act:

• Gives candidates for state Supreme Court and Court of Appeals the option of public financing, if they raise qualifying contributions and agree to strict fund-raising and spending limits.
• Offers Supreme Court candidates as much as $600,000 in the general election and $137,000 of "rescue" funds in the primary if a non-participating candidate or independent group tries to out-spend them; funding is much lower if opposing candidates are participating in the public financing program.
• Lowers the contribution limits for the judicial candidates not in the public financing program to $1000 per election, from the current limit of $4000 per election.
• Is funded from two voluntary sources: a $50 contribution attorneys will be asked to give when they get the invoice for their annual privilege license; and a $3 check-off on the state income-tax form. The program is projected to cost an estimated $1.8 million a year or $3.6 million per election cycle
• Changes the method of electing judges on the state Court of Appeals and Supreme Court to nonpartisan elections.
• Provides a Voter Guide with information about candidates for those offices to all households.