New York Voters Support New Public Campaign Finance Program
By Tenneth Fairclough II and Isa Alomran
Since the Supreme Court ruled in Citizens United that corporations can spend unlimited funds on influencing elections, the impact of wealthy donors and special interest groups on our political system has grown significantly. New York, the state with the second-highest number of billionaire residents, is particularly vulnerable to the influence of big money in politics. CEOs, corporate executives, and super PACs poured millions into last year's election for governor — the costliest New York gubernatorial election in over 20 years.
High-dollar spending by wealthy interest groups can crowd out the voices of everyday New Yorkers. In 2022, the state’s 200 biggest donors gave almost $16 million, more than all of the state’s small donors put together.
However, a new initiative could beat back the influence of large money in New York. Last November, New York introduced a small-dollar matching program that uses public funds to match small donations from state residents. For statewide candidates, the state will match $6 to every $1 donated by a resident, matching up to $250 per resident. Legislative candidates, meanwhile, can receive up to $12 for every $1 donated by a resident of their district matching up to $50 per resident.
New polling from Data for Progress and Stand Up America finds broad support among New York likely voters for the program, which aims to give New Yorkers a larger say in their state’s politics.
Baseline Attitudes Toward Wealthy Donors and Politics
Before testing support for the new campaign finance program, we examined voters’ perceptions of wealthy donors and their influence in New York politics.
First, we asked voters whether they believe wealthy donors have more influence on politicians than the average voter. We find that about 9 in 10 New York voters believe wealthy donors have more influence on politicians than the average voter. That sentiment is widely shared across partisanship, with 91 percent of Democrats, 93 percent of Independents, and 90 percent of Republicans saying the same.
Next, we asked voters whether their elected officials should or should not prioritize countering the influence of wealthy donors in New York politics. We find that close to three-quarters of New York voters (70 percent) want their elected officials to counter the influence of wealthy donors. Across partisanship, 74 percent of Democrats, 71 percent of Independents, and 63 percent of Republicans agree.
We also asked voters whether they think that the influence of wealthy donors harms representative democracy in New York politics. We find that 84 percent of New York voters believe that the influence of wealthy donors is harming representative democracy in the state. Again, we find overwhelming agreement with this sentiment across partisanship, with at least 83 percent of Democrats, Independents, and Republicans saying the same.
Voters Support the Public Campaign Finance Program
Next, we tested voter support for the new public campaign finance program that matches small donations to state candidates who volunteer to join.
We first informed voters of the program’s goal, its cost relative to the state budget, and how the program matches small donations to certain candidates running in an election. We then asked whether voters support or oppose the new program. We find that New York voters support the program by a +34-point margin (61 percent support, 27 percent oppose). Across partisanship, this program enjoys strong majority support among Democrats, by a +49-point margin, while Independents and Republicans support it by margins of +25 points and +16 points, respectively.
We then presented voters with a statement from supporters of the small-donor matching program and a statement from its opponents, and re-asked whether they support or oppose the program.
The statement from supporters highlighted a main objective of the program; giving everyday voters a louder voice with candidates who can then spend more time with their local constituents and less time trying to raise money from wealthy donors.
The statement from opponents focused on a concern about spending taxpayer money to foot the bill for political campaigns instead of other, more important issues that affect taxpayers.
Having read both statements, a majority of voters continue to back the small-donor matching program, by a +31 point margin (60 percent support, 29 percent oppose). Across partisanship, this program continues to enjoy majority support among Democrats (+53-point margin) and Independents (+17-point margin). Meanwhile, a plurality of Republicans back the program, by a +9-point margin.
Additionally, we find that 56 percent of voters think their state representatives should enroll in the small-donor matching program. Looking at the results by party, 67 percent of Democrats agree with the sentiment, while pluralities of Independents and Republicans say the same.
Finally, as lawmakers in Albany negotiate the state’s budget for the 2024 fiscal year, we asked voters whether they support or oppose fully funding the small-donor matching program so that it runs as intended. We find that a strong majority of voters support funding this program, by a +36-point margin (62 percent support, 26 percent oppose). This sentiment is shared across party lines, as Democrats, Independents, and Republicans back funding this program by margins of +59, +19 and +15 points, respectively.
As the influence of large money in politics grows, New Yorkers clearly support combating the impact of wealthy corporations and billionaires in the state. If successful, the small-donor matching program can serve as a model for other states looking to reduce the impact of Citizens United, giving Americans across the country a renewed voice in the political process.
Tenneth Fairclough II (@tenten_wins) is a polling analyst at Data for Progress.
Isa Alomran is Lead Analyst at Data for Progress.