Candidates relied much more on small donations from constituents. The program has made in-district contributions of $250 or less a central component of fundraising. These donations leaped from less than 5 percent of overall funding in recent cycles to 45 percent in the last cycle when factoring in matching funds. Large donations of $1,000 or more and money from entities such as PACs and corporations (which often come from outside candidates’ districts) decreased from 70 and 72 percent of candidates’ funding in 2020 and 2022, respectively, to 38 percent in 2024.
Small donors’ participation boomed. An estimated 50,800 New Yorkers made small-dollar in-district donations — about twice as many as in 2020 or 2022.
Independent expenditures did not negate the program’s benefits. Spending by super PACs and similar entities, which was concentrated in just 10 percent of legislative districts, did not impede publicly financed candidates from running viable campaigns.
Candidates embraced the program. A total of 328 candidates from across the state and from both parties signed up for the program, representing the vast majority of legislative candidates, and 192 qualified for public funds. Candidates in lower-income districts benefited from the program at rates similar to those in wealthier ones.