For release: Wednesday, June 22 2016
Contact: Shaista Shaikh (415) 252-3100
The first certification of a candidate in Supervisorial District 5 to be eligible for public financing for the November 8, 2016 election was announced today by Ethics Commission Executive Director, LeeAnn Pelham, as required by the City’s public campaign funding program. Based on a review by Ethics Commission staff of Dean Preston’s Qualifying Request and supporting documentation, Mr. Preston’s campaign is now qualified to receive $20,000 in public funds from the San Francisco Election Campaign Fund.
“The Election Campaign Fund provides a method for City candidates to leverage small contributions and engage local voters in their campaigns. This is now the eighth City candidate to qualify for public funding for the November 2016 supervisorial elections,” Pelham said.
To qualify for public campaign funding, non-incumbent candidates for the Board of Supervisors are required to demonstrate that they have received qualifying contributions ranging from $10 to $100 totaling $10,000 from at least 100 residents of the City. Once the Ethics Commission certifies a candidate’s eligibility, various reporting requirements are triggered for all candidates in that race. To receive public funding, Supervisorial candidates must also agree to abide by a $250,000 campaign expenditure ceiling. These candidates may qualify to receive up to $155,000 in public funds for their campaigns depending on the amount of matching contributions they raise. Under the law, only contributions raised from San Francisco residents are eligible to be matched. The Election Campaign Fund is funded through the City’s General Fund with an annual appropriation based on the number of city residents, up to a maximum Fund level of $7 million.
All candidates who receive public funds are audited by the Ethics Commission at the conclusion of the election.
For regular updates about candidates who are certified as eligible to receive public funds, along with the amounts disbursed to qualified candidates throughout the election, visit the Ethics Commission’s website at: https://www.sfethics.org/ethics/2016/02/campaign-finance-public-funds-disbursements-november-8-2016.html.
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The Ethics Commission was established by San Francisco voters in November 1993, and serves the public, City employees and officials, and local candidates through education and enforcement of ethics laws, including public information, reports and advice; campaign disclosure and economic interest filings; lobbyist and campaign consultant registration and reporting; public financing for City campaigns; audits, investigations and enforcement.