Today is the final day of the fifth disclosure filing period for the 2009 citywide elections. With 14 months to go before the likely primary elections, filings with the Campaign Finance Board show that an unprecedented number of candidates are expected to report financial activity for the six months concluding today in Statement #5 on Tuesday, July 15.
Matching funds provided through the Campaign Finance Program are meant to help encourage more public-minded citizens to run for City office. Earlier analyses have shown that candidates are planning to contest the 2009 elections in unprecedented numbers, and a look ahead to Tuesday’s filing indicates this trend will continue.
Amidst the rush of political activity during this Presidential election year, New York City candidates are looking ahead to the following year, and making early plans to run in 2009.
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More candidates, across the board. For the 2001 elections, term limits created a record number of open-seat races; a similar situation exists for the 2009 elections. Compared with eight years ago, many more candidates are beginning early campaigns.
- At this point in the election cycle in 2001, there were 103 candidates registered with the CFB. As of today, there are 150 candidates for the 2009 elections—a 46 percent increase.
While the number of candidates for 2009 has increased at a quicker rate than in 2001 (see below), it is unlikely the rate of increase will continue through the election year. At present, term limits will leave 35 Council seats open in the fall of 2009. But with several members of the Council running for other offices in 2008, special elections will likely place incumbents in a few of those seats.
A complete list of 2009 candidates is available here. This list reflects the number of candidates registered with the CFB as of today. Candidates can file their initial registration along with their disclosure; hence, the total number of candidates who file disclosures on July 15 may be slightly higher.
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City Council: With 51 seats in the City Council, the great majority of candidates in any election cycle are Council candidates. Those candidates are starting earlier than ever as well. As of today, there are 95 declared candidates in 38 districts for City Council in the 2009 elections, compared with 63 candidates in 32 districts at the same point in the 2001 election cycle.*
Not only has the sheer number of candidates increased, but competition is increasing as well. Not only are there more declared Council candidates, but there are more competitive races this early in the election cycle than ever before. There currently are 23 Council districts with more than one candidate (comprising 78 candidates), compared to 16 at this point in the 2001 cycle (representing 45 candidates). Along with providing more citizens with the capacity to run for office, increasing voter choice is among the central goals of the Program, so these data tell an encouraging story.
FILING DAY DETAILS
All potential candidates in the 2009 elections—including those do not plan to participate in the Campaign Finance Program—are required to disclose all financial activity between January 12, 2008 and July 11, 2008 with the CFB by next Tuesday, July 15. Candidates may deliver statements to the CFB, submit their filings electronically, or send the materials by mail, as long as mailed submissions are postmarked by January 15.
As disclosures are filed on July 15, the CFB will update its website with the latest financial information four times during the day: at 12:00 pm, 3:00 pm, 5:00 pm and again at the close of the business day. The CFB’s campaign finance summary page contains summary financial information for all candidates who file with the CFB. Detailed information can also be found in the CFB’s searchable online database.
Information on the contribution and spending limits in effect for the 2009 election can be found here.
* Note: there are 44 candidates registered with the CFB who have not yet declared an intention to run for a particular office. Of those, 16 are current Council members who are ineligible to run for re-election due to term limits; two others are current Council members who are not term-limited out of office.