23-05-2025
How fund matching can put power in the hands of New York voters
NEW YORK (PIX11) — Election season in New York City can mean door knocks, phone calls, and dozens of events throughout the city led by candidates seeking funding for their campaigns.
For voters who donate to campaigns, New York City has a local fund-matching program intended to give residents more power in the face of powerful financial interests.
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Public fund matching is when New York City's Campaign Finance Board provides public funds to candidates running for city office. For donations under $250, the CFB matches every dollar given to a candidate with $8, according to NYC Votes.
The Matching Funds Program was established in 1988 to help address the cost of running for public office and to encourage candidates to finance their campaigns through small donations from average New Yorkers instead of wealthy special interest groups, according to the organization Blue Prints for Democracy.
Anyone running for a municipal office such as mayor, comptroller, public advocate, borough president or city council is eligible to participate in the Matching Funds Program.
To participate in the Matching Funds Program, a candidate must appear on the ballot with at least one challenger, must agree to increased financial oversight from the CFB, and must abide by campaign spending limits that vary depending on the office they're running for.
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The Matching Funds Program was intended to make it possible for any New Yorker to run for office, and to help ensure candidates answer to the interests of residents as opposed to special interest groups, according to NYC Votes.
Organizers from Blue Prints for Democracy say that the Matching Funds Program has been successful in ensuring that individuals who give to campaigns represent the city's racial and economic diversity. The program has also successfully encouraged candidates to reach out to communities that may have otherwise been ignored, according to Blue Prints for Democracy.
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'[S]ince the multiple match increases reliance on small donors, there is less need for a candidate to cozy up to special interests,' one elected official said.
Mayor Eric Adams and former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo have been denied millions in matching campaign funds in the 2025 mayoral election. On the other hand, Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani has received so much support that he has maxed out fundraising for the mayoral primary.
Dominique Jack is a digital content producer from Brooklyn with more than five years of experience covering news. She joined PIX11 in 2024. More of her work can be found here.
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