Two Massachusetts Statewide Candidates Qualify For Public Funding

Printed from: https://newbostonpost.com/2022/07/19/two-massachusetts-statewide-candidates-qualify-for-public-funding/

By Michael P. Norton
State House News Service

Lieutenant governor candidate and state representatitive Tami Gouveia (D-Acton) and attorney general candidate Quentin Palfrey have qualified for matching public funds for their primary election campaigns, the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance announced Monday.

The state agency said that Gouveia qualified to receive $143,994 and Palfrey $165,412.

State law makes limited public campaign financing available to statewide candidates who are opposed, agree to observe a statutory spending limit, and submit the minimum amount of qualifying contributions.

The state Office of Campaign and Political Finance said the State Election Campaign Fund contained $1,002,490 as of June 30, based on data from the state Comptroller’s Office.

“That amount was split in half – $501,245 is available for the September 6 primary election and the same amount for the November 8 general election,” a spokesman for the state Office of Campaign and Political Finance told State House News Service. “The law calls for candidates for governor to be funded first, with any remaining funds to be distributed to candidates for the other five statewide offices who are eligible to receive public financing. Because no gubernatorial candidates were certified to receive funding, funds were made available to Gouveia and Palfrey.”

The sole source of funding for public financing is a fund that receives money when taxpayers direct $1 from their tax liability on their annual income tax returns to the fund.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Geoff Diehl initially opted into the public financing system, but subsequently said he would not accept any tax dollars to fund his campaign.

 

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