To: Heather Mizeur, Delegate & Candidate for Governor, Douglas Gansler, Atty Gen'l & Candidate for Governor, and Anthony Brown, Lt. Governor & Candidate for Governor
For Campaign Finance Reform: We Thank Heather Mizeur and We Urge Brown, Gansler & Others To Join Her
We applaud Delegate Heather Mizeur for agreeing to comply with the limitations on campaign spending and accepting public funding in her campaign in the Maryland gubernatorial Democratic primary. [1] We ask her opponents to take steps to conform to those limitations.
------------------------------
[1] http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bs-md-mizeur-financing-20131204,0,5088889.story
------------------------------
[1] http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bs-md-mizeur-financing-20131204,0,5088889.story
Why is this important?
We need a Governor who will not be beholden to wealthy special interests and can represent all Maryland citizens. We believe that the enormous amounts of money obtained by candidates from corporations and the wealthy corrupts our political process. We support the fight throughout the country to combat the challenge to our democracy presented by the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision which invalidated campaign finance reform legislation. [2] A letter, signed by a majority of members of the Maryland General Assembly in January 2012, called upon the Maryland Congressional Delegation to work for an amendment to the Constitution for free and fair elections and reversing that decision. [3] Currently before the General Assembly is legislation calling on Congress to call a Constitutional Convention to permit meaningful campaign funding reform. [4]
Since Delegate Mizeur has voluntarily accepted the Maryland Campaign Finance restrictions, her primary campaign budget is limited to $2,586,124. She will also not accept contributions in excess of $250 and will only accept contributions from individuals (not corporations). [5] However both Lieutenant Governor Anthony Brown and Attorney General Gansler have not yet chosen to abide by the Maryland campaign finance restrictions and avail themselves of the Maryland fund. Although both are better known throughout the state, they are planning primary campaigns that will spend in excess of 6 million dollars each. [6]
We call on Anthony Brown and Douglas Gansler and all other candidates for governor to voluntarily accept the Maryland campaign fund limits. Please join Delegate Mizeur in conducting conduct a campaign that does not rely on contributions from wealthy donors and corporations.
------------------------------------------
[2] Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, 558 U.S. 310 (2010)
[3] http://www.getmoneyoutmd.org/md_letter_for_traditional_amendment
[4] Senator Jamie Raskin and 10 co-sponsors have introduced resolution SJ6, calling for an Article V Convention of the States. Ways and Means Chair Sheila Hixson and 26 co-sponsors have introduced the companion resolution HJ7 in the House of Delegates.
[5] http://www.elections.state.md.us/campaign_finance/public_funding.html (The limit is based on contributions in excess of $50.)
[6] As of the most recent reporting period Lt. Gov. Brown collected $5,393,572 last year and already has cash on hand of $7,013,647. Attorney General Gansler raised last year $1,673,050 and has cash on hand of. $6,268,967 http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/politics/bal-governor-fundraising,0,5511370.photogallery?index=bal-governor-fundraising-003 Republican candidate Larry Hogan also intends to rely on the campaign fund. http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/politics/blog/bs-md-hogan-public-financing-20140203,0,4299894.story However, as of the date of this petition no campaign finance report has been filed.
Since Delegate Mizeur has voluntarily accepted the Maryland Campaign Finance restrictions, her primary campaign budget is limited to $2,586,124. She will also not accept contributions in excess of $250 and will only accept contributions from individuals (not corporations). [5] However both Lieutenant Governor Anthony Brown and Attorney General Gansler have not yet chosen to abide by the Maryland campaign finance restrictions and avail themselves of the Maryland fund. Although both are better known throughout the state, they are planning primary campaigns that will spend in excess of 6 million dollars each. [6]
We call on Anthony Brown and Douglas Gansler and all other candidates for governor to voluntarily accept the Maryland campaign fund limits. Please join Delegate Mizeur in conducting conduct a campaign that does not rely on contributions from wealthy donors and corporations.
------------------------------------------
[2] Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, 558 U.S. 310 (2010)
[3] http://www.getmoneyoutmd.org/md_letter_for_traditional_amendment
[4] Senator Jamie Raskin and 10 co-sponsors have introduced resolution SJ6, calling for an Article V Convention of the States. Ways and Means Chair Sheila Hixson and 26 co-sponsors have introduced the companion resolution HJ7 in the House of Delegates.
[5] http://www.elections.state.md.us/campaign_finance/public_funding.html (The limit is based on contributions in excess of $50.)
[6] As of the most recent reporting period Lt. Gov. Brown collected $5,393,572 last year and already has cash on hand of $7,013,647. Attorney General Gansler raised last year $1,673,050 and has cash on hand of. $6,268,967 http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/politics/bal-governor-fundraising,0,5511370.photogallery?index=bal-governor-fundraising-003 Republican candidate Larry Hogan also intends to rely on the campaign fund. http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/politics/blog/bs-md-hogan-public-financing-20140203,0,4299894.story However, as of the date of this petition no campaign finance report has been filed.