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.
 
These publicly-financed candidates came from across the political spectrum with Democrats and Republicans, as well as incumbents and challengers, proving victorious.
 
“Connecticut voters sent a clear and powerful signal that they want a political system where their voices can be heard and one that allows for a diversity in the candidates who can run for elective office,” said Solange Bitol Hansen, National Programs Director of Public Campaign. “Just as it has worked in the seven other states and two cities around the country, Clean Elections modeled campaign reform curtails pay-to-play politics and makes elections about voters and volunteers instead of big money donors.”
 
The 19 contested primary elections nearly doubled the number of contested primaries seen in 2006, according to Connecticut’s State Elections Enforcement Commission. In these 19 contested primaries, 35 of the 40 candidates, or 85 percent, participated in the voluntary Citizens Election Program. Many of the candidates were newcomers who never would have run without the new Citizens Elections program.
 
The primary is just a start. There were 52 Senate candidates and 178 House candidates that had pledged this week to participate in the Citizens Election Program in November’s general election, while only 11 had opted out, the Enforcement Commission reported. The support is strong from Democrats and Republicans, challengers and incumbents.  
 
Under the Citizens Election Program, participating candidates garner donations of $5 to $100 from the voters in their legislative district in order to meet qualifying thresholds. Once qualified, candidates must also agree to forgo all political donations, including those from political action committees and state contractors, and abide by strict spending limits.
 

 
Public Campaign is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to sweeping reform that aims to dramatically reduce the role of big special interest money in American politics. For more information, go to www.publicampaign.org.