Washington, DC--Voters expanded Clean Elections programs in six states this week, electing nearly 400 officials to statehouses, the judiciary and statewide positions. While there is agreement the 32-year-old presidential financing system needs reform, local Clean Elections programs are growing with at least 370 Clean Elections officials elected with more election results to be determined.  The comparable figure for 2006 was 205 elected officials.

Citizens in Arizona, Connecticut, Maine, New Mexico, North Carolina, and Portland, Oregon voted for a diverse mix of Clean Elections candidates from across the political spectrum - Democrats and Republicans, incumbents and challengers, men and women.

Voters given the choice chose Clean Elections candidates, demonstrating strong support at the local level for the system. That's vital because Clean Elections candidates typically meet voters one on one to discuss the issues. They must get a set number of modest donations-usually five dollars-from people in their community in order to qualify for a grant to pay for their campaign. Once qualified, the Clean Elections candidate adheres to strict spending limits and stops accepting private contributions. That means the donation from the teacher is as important as the one from the corporate CEO.

Major Results:

• 81% of the next Connecticut General Assembly will be Clean Elections officials after the state's first general election using the program.

• In Maine, Clean Elections officials will hold 85% of seats in the statehouse.

• 54% of the Arizona legislature will be Clean Elections officials in January, up from 42% today.

• 68% of North Carolina's top judicial seats will be held by Clean Elections officials including five of the seven Supreme Court Justices.

Arizona
When it convenes in January, 54 percent of the Arizona legislature will be made up of officials that used the Clean Elections program, up from the current 42 percent, according to unofficial results.

In January 2009, a total of 49 officials that opted to use the voluntary system will be in the Arizona statehouse. Officials using the Clean Elections program will hold 38 of 60 Arizona House seats, or 63 percent, and 11 of 30 Senate seats, or 37 percent.  

With one Corporation Commissioner race too close to call, at least two of the Corporation Commissioners elected on Tuesday ran and won under the Clean Elections program. That means a minimum of 8 out of 11 statewide elected officials in Arizona ran and won using Clean Elections.

Using the Clean Elections program has been an option for Arizona state candidates since 2000 and almost two-thirds of all eligible candidates chose to run this year using the program. (CORRECTION - Our press release on Friday Nov. 7 incorrectly reported the results for Arizona due to a computation error.)

Connecticut
This is Connecticut's first general election under its new Clean Elections modeled program and the results have been outstanding. Eighty-one percent of the next General Assembly will be officials that ran under the Clean Elections program. That's a total of 152 seats out of 187, which could rise higher as results for several seats remain undetermined.

In the Connecticut Senate, 89 percent of the seats, or 32 of 36, will be held by Clean Elections officials. On the House side, Clean Elections officials will hold at least 120 of the 151 seats.
 
Seventy-five percent of all candidates for Connecticut's General Assembly ran under the Clean Elections program.

Maine
Clean Elections have become a vital part of the election process in Maine since it was instituted for all state elections in 2000.

Final results won't be announced for several weeks, but preliminary returns indicate that Clean Elections officials will hold 85 percent of all seats in the next Maine statehouse, with 158 winning candidates running under the program. That's up slightly from 84 percent in the current statehouse.Clean Elections officials will hold 80 percent of the Senate, or 28 seats, and 86 percent, or 130 seats, in the Maine House of Representatives, preliminary returns show.

North Carolina
Candidates have overwhelmingly adopted the North Carolina's Clean Elections program in the offices where it has been implemented - top judicial seats and three statewide Council of State offices. A total of eight Clean Elections officials won on Tuesday.Clean Elections candidates won all five of the contested N.C. Court of Appeals races. The winners include two African Americans and two women. Both candidates in the Supreme Court race used the Clean Elections program. 

Once the winners are sworn in, 68 percent of North Carolina's top judicial seats will be held by judges that ran under the Clean Elections program. That includes five of the seven Supreme Court Justices, and 10 of 15 Court of Appeals judges.

In Tuesday's results, Clean Elections candidates won two of the three Council of State offices, including Commissioner of Insurance and the Superintendent of Public Instruction. 

Portland, Ore. And New Mexico
In Portland, Ore., longtime civic activist Amanda Fritz won the first Portland City Council race run entirely under a Clean Elections program. Fritz will become one of the city's four commissioners, elected citywide to a non-partisan position serving Portland's 570,000 citizens.

In New Mexico, both candidates running Clean Elections campaigns for seats on the Public Regulation Commission won their elections.

For more information, contact Burney Simpson at Public Campaign, 202.293.0222.