New rules that make it tougher for gubernatorial candidates to qualify for public campaign funding create an unfair burden for third-party contenders, according to members of the Green Independent Party.
Under new provisions passed by the Legislature in the recent session, gubernatorial candidates must collect at least $40,000 in $100 “seed money” donations plus 3,250 qualifying contributions of $5 or more in order to secure financing from the Maine Clean Election Act. Previously, there was no seed money requirement and candidates needed only 2,500 qualifying contributions.
At stake is up to $1.8 million per candidate in taxpayer-backed funding.
While some say the tougher criteria are designed to restrict clean elections to only the most serious candidates, others say the rules favor the Republican and Democratic parties and their well-established support networks.
“To raise $40,000, when you’re not the darling of the Republican or Democratic party, is a high bar to cross,” said Lynne Williams of Bar Harbor, a Green Independent candidate for governor who is seeking public financing. “Once again, the Legislature has decided to subvert the will of the people.”
Anna Trevorrow, chairwoman of the Green Independent Party, echoed Williams’ comments.
“The clean election law was meant to level the playing field,” said Trevorrow. “As a party, we’re pretty upset about the changes that have been made.”
The requirement to raise $40,000 in seed money is problematic even for major-party candidates, said Sen. Peter Mills, R-Cornville, who intends to vie for the Republican nomination with public financing. In the last election cycle, Mills gathered 2,500 qualifying contributions of $5 each and raised more than $40,000 in seed money, but he said achieving those totals was an “enormous task.”
“To raise the $40,000 for a candidate who probably can’t win is going to be very difficult,” said Mills. “I have to wonder if this means that the Green party is essentially out of gubernatorial contention.”
Williams, who formally announced her candidacy July 15, said she is confident she will be able to achieve the fiscal benchmarks by setting up election committees in every county. But she questioned whether the Democrat-controlled Legislature targeted her party because Greens are thought to attract voters away from Democrats more than Republicans.
“An Act to Amend the Maine Clean Election Laws Governing Gubernatorial Candidates,” which was sponsored by House Speaker Hannah Pingree, D-North Haven, contains the changes regarding seed money and qualifying contributions. The bill passed both the House and Senate on June 10 without roll-call votes, meaning the votes are recorded as unanimous.
Arden Manning, chairman of the Maine Democratic Party, said he doesn’t think Democrats targeted any other group and couldn’t think of an example in Maine where a Green Independent candidate took enough votes from any party to sway a statewide election.
“(The clean election laws) force the candidates to show strong grassroots support,” he said. “If they don’t have the grassroots infrastructure to get enough checks, their candidate doesn’t have enough support to warrant the funds.”
Another rule just enacted by the Legislature alters the requirement for a party to have official status in Maine. Whereas the Greens were previously required to win at least 5 percent of the gubernatorial vote, they must now muster at least 10,000 of their 30,000 or so registered voters to the polls. Manning said that change, which he sees as easier for the Green Independent party, is evidence that Greens have not been unfairly targeted.
While Trevorrow agreed that the new requirement is easier and represents a sort of “trade off,” she said the new laws still pave a difficult road for independents seeking the Blaine House.
