Gomes Qualifies For Public Campaign Dough

State Senate candidate Ed Gomes will have roughly $95,000 to spend in his quest to win reelection as a result of being approved for public financing. His primary opponent State Rep. Andres Ayala has already qualified. Ernie Newton is awaiting word on his application. From Joshua Foley, State Elections Enforcement Commission:

HARTFORD, CT – July 12, 2012 – The State Elections Enforcement Commission (the “Commission”) today (Thursday) awarded thirteen more public grant payments under the Citizens’ Election Program (the “Program” or “CEP”) for the upcoming August primaries and November election. The Commission determined that state representative candidates David Alexander (D – 58th District), Terry Backer (D – 121st District), Lawerence Cafero, Jr. (R – 142nd District), Marilyn Giuliano (R – 23rd District), Minnie Gonzalez (D – 3rd District), Daniel Rovero (D –51st District), Stephen Rubin (R – 136th District), Kathy Tallarita (D – 58th District), Kate Tepper (D – 142nd District), and Edwin Vargas (D – 6th District) were eligible to receive Program grants. State senate candidates Edwin Gomes (D – 23rd District), Edward Meyer (D – 12th District), and Donald Williams (D – 29th District) were also determined to be eligible to receive Program grants.

The final deadline for primary grant applications is fast approaching. Friday, July 20 at 5:00 p.m. is the final deadline for candidates to apply for primary grants. The Program has also entered what is termed the “primary blackout period” for general election grant application reviews. For the next deadline (July 18), only applications from candidates facing a primary will be subject to the five-day turnaround time by the Commission. General election grant applications will be accepted during this time, but will not be acted upon by the Commission until its August 1 meeting.

The Citizens’ Election Program is a revolutionary program that allows qualifying candidates for the General Assembly to receive full public financing. To qualify for public financing, candidates must demonstrate they have sufficient support from their constituents. Participating candidates may only accept small dollar contributions from individual human beings–the maximum contribution is $100–and no contributions from state contractors, PACs, unions or corporations. The CEP was designed, in part, to reduce the influence of special interests in state politics, and it has done so to a remarkable degree in just two full election cycles. As the SEEC, struggling with staff reductions, begins its third cycle of administering the voluntary Program, the CEP continues to provide a seawall against the rising tide of special interest money in today’s elections.

Grant amounts vary. Typically, primary grant amounts are $10,740 for state representative candidates and $37,590 for state senate candidates, but amounts are higher if the candidates run in districts where one major party has a large advantage in the number of electors registered with that party. In most races, general election grant amounts are $26,850 for state representative candidates and $91,290 for state senate candidates.