Politicians in some states have turned to publicly financed
elections out of idealism, certain that there must be a better way
to fund campaigns.
Politicians in New Jersey may turn to public financing out of
frustration, concerned there may soon be no other way.
As the state has begun to pass tough legislation regulating who
can donate to political campaigns - most recently, a bill banning
the practice of trading government contracts for campaign
contributions known as "pay-to-play" - longtime politicians have
grown fearful that the Statehouse will become a province of the
rich.
Noting that this year's gubernatorial race might feature two
millionaires financing their own campaigns, some lawmakers of more
modest means have grasped at what they see as one of their last
options for political survival: so-called "clean elections."
State Sen. Joseph Doria (D., Hudson) was the first to call for
the change earlier this month, arguing that the pay-to-play bill -
which he initially opposed, but later supported - was just
"tinkering around the edges" of a corrupt system.
"I believe we have to deal with the public financing question and
we have to deal with it quickly," Doria said in an impassioned
speech during Senate debate on the pay-to-play legislation. "We need
to look at elections and find a way we can have people who are not
millionaires run for office."
Sen. Wayne Bryant (D., Camden), another lawmaker who had opposed
the pay-to-play bill, backed up Doria's cry after he too changed his
vote and supported the legislation: "You don't solve a system by
taking all the money out so no one can run for office except wealthy
people. If we keep going down this path, we have to look at public
financing sometime soon," he said.
Neither lawmaker said he planned to introduce public-financing
legislation anytime soon.
But others say momentum for statewide public funding is beginning
to build as the state prepares to hold its first "clean" campaigns
this fall.
A package of campaign-finance laws championed by Assembly
Majority Leader Joe Roberts (D., Camden) last spring includes a
pilot program providing public funds for two Assembly districts'
November elections. The state Democratic chairwoman will choose
District Six, Seven or 15 for one test case, and the state GOP
chairman will choose District Nine, 11 or 13 for the other.
Watchdogs say District Six, led by Assemblyman Louis Greenwald
and Assemblywoman Mary Previte (both D., Camden), and District 11,
led by Assemblyman Steve Corodemus and Sean Kean (both R.,
Monmouth), have an edge. The party chairs have 20 days after the
June 7 primary to make a decision.
Greenwald has actively campaigned for the opportunity, attending
the first meeting of the state's Clean Elections Task Force earlier
this month to make a pitch.
"For me this is very personal and emotional - I want this, and I
want it for all the right reasons," he said. "As we take money out
of the system, even honest people's voices could be lost. With my
position as the Assembly Budget Committee chairman, it would send a
message that this is a pure process."
The public-financing pilot program is modeled after laws in Maine
and Arizona, the two states that offer public financing for all
state races. Washington and Hawaii are also considering changing to
that system.
Candidates in the two districts selected will raise a certain
number of small donations to reach qualifying threshold and sign a
no-fund-raising pledge. They will receive up to $100,000 in public
money in return.
The pilot program may be expanded to four districts in 2007.
New Jersey has had partial public financing of its gubernatorial
races since 1974. But acting Gov. Richard J. Codey, who considered
challenging U.S. Sen. Jon S. Corzine for the Democratic nomination,
said the limit of $3.8 million in public funds for the primary and
$5.6 million for the general was just not enough. Corzine spent
nearly $70 million of his own money in winning his Senate seat in
2000.
Barbara Lubin, executive director of the Phoenix-based Clean
Elections Institute, said Arizona, like New Jersey, had weathered
political scandal and escalating campaign costs before voters
approved a referendum for public financing in 1998.
"We had two governors resign in scandal, and more problems in the
legislature, and it just pushed people over the edge," Lubin said.
"We, too, got here by cynicism and frustration.
"But what people say they like the most now is that the average
person can afford to run for office."
Assemblyman Bill Baroni (R., Mercer), a member of the Clean
Elections Task Force, said he feared some lawmakers were calling for
public financing just to fend off further restrictions on campaign
contributions.
"I do not agree that restrictions on pay-to-play will mean only
the rich can run," he said. "We should ban pay-to-play simply
because it is wrong."
But, he said, the Legislature can use all the reformers it can
get, even lawmakers like Doria and Bryant, who have been criticized
for profiting from their public service.
"We have a lot of versions of Saul on the road to Damascus in the
Legislature right now," he said. "We'll take them all."
Roberts, the majority leader, said he expected the clean election
campaigns to be closely watched, and if they are successful, calls
for complete public financing to grow.
"New Jersey is a different state than Maine or Arizona, and our
elections are very diverse, complicated and expensive," he said.
"But banning pay-to-play by itself is not enough. Maine has found a
better way, and so can New Jersey."
