More small donors are contributing to state elections in New York, according to a recent report, and the share of large donations for candidates’ fundraising decreased from 2024 to 2020.
The report, published by the Brennan Center for Justice on Thursday, credits a state-run public campaign finance program for the change. The program matches campaign donations of $250 or less for qualifying races.
Proponents say it encourages candidates to rely more on donations from constituents, and less on megadonors and special interest groups.
“The program is changing the game in New York state elections,” said Marina Pino, Brennan Center counsel.
The number of small donor contributions increased through public fund
The Public Campaign Finance Program was enacted in 2020 and took into effect during the 2024 election season. The program concluded its first year in action after it started off with several criticisms regarding its structure and the regulation of candidates’ outside spending.
While other states have similarly implemented public finance funds to incentivize small donors, the Brennan Center called New York’s Public Campaign Finance Program “the strongest legislative response” to reducing outsized megadonor influence since the Supreme Court overturned campaign finance precedent in Citizens United.
The 2010 ruling designated political spending as protected speech under the First Amendment, which prevents government regulation of corporations and unions’ campaign contributions.
But for candidates fundraising under New York’s new finance program, Pino said, “they’re not only going door-to-door, talking about the issues that [constituents] care about, but in those conversations, they get to ask for those small dollar donations.”
The fund, which issued matches to 192 candidates across nearly half of all assembly districts and about 60% of all senate districts in 2024, has limits to its match funding, and has a sliding scale for each match depending on how much a constituent contributes. For example, a state Assembly candidate receiving a $25 contribution from a constituent gets matched 12-to-1, ultimately taking in $325.
“Having a $25 contribution on its own may not go as long of a way to a candidate who's also receiving thousands and thousands of dollars from an outside donor,” Pino said. “But when it's matched to become $325, it means a whole lot more to the campaign.”
While the number of in-district small donors in 2020 was 26,014, that number skyrocketed to 50,800 in 2024. Meanwhile, large donations of $1,000 and more, and outside donations saw diluted sway: those donations decreased from comprising 70% of candidates’ funding in 2020 to 38% in 2024. “Some of the best funded candidates, newcomers and incumbents alike, relied on constituent small donors and matches for more than half of their funding,” the report reads.
Candidates centered constituent voices
The shift to small, in-district contributions manifested even in candidates’ messaging. Incumbent Sen. Monica Martinez made it a point to emphasize the benefits of the public fund, writing on Facebook, “Every contribution you make can be multiplied by up to 12 times ensuring your support goes even further in shaping the future of our community.”
Another incumbent, Sen. Rachel May of Syracuse, said the program strengthens the state’s democratic processes and even changed how she ran her bid for reelection. “The whole point of our democracy is for voters to have choices on the ballot,” she said. “And our public financing system is making that happen.”
As a growing number of Americans express concern over the influence of money in politics, “New York state has an answer to that,” Pino said. “New York is offering a program to candidates and small donors alike that allow those small donors to have a much greater say in not only their elections, but how their elected officials decide on very important policies — policies that they know best.”
Criticisms still remain
The program has not been free of criticisms. One Assembly candidate attempted to forge small donations in order to access the public match fund, which prompted lawmakers to implement more safeguards.
Democrats on the Public Campaign Finance Board, which oversees the program, quickly passed a resolution in December that allows match money to be transferred to some establishment party organizations.
Additionally, there’s no limit to how much campaigns participating in the program can spend outside of it — meaning candidates can dip into both small-donor matching and big-donor spending. Staff at the Brennan Center said the absence of a cap reflects the reality that Citizens United allows for unlimited outside spending, and emphasized that those contributions still remain subject to the state’s individual contribution limits, once candidates max out on public funding.
The New York State Public Campaign Finance Board, which oversees the initiative, is requesting full funding of $114.5 million: $14.5 million for administrative needs and $100 million for matching funds.
The deadline to finalize the annual budget is April 1.
