Small Money Certification Criteria-2018

Represent Maryland Small Money Commission and Criteria 

     Represent Maryland volunteers have formed a "Small Money Commission" to certify candidates for public office who meet our small money criteria. The influence of "big money" which includes contributions from corporations, corporate PACs, foundations and non profits, unions* and industry associations*, lobbyists and lobbying firms, party PACs*, leadership PACs* and Slate PACs*, has taken over our political process, to the point that if a candidate cannot secure these types of donations, they are very unlikely to win their race. 
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     Montgomery County MD has taken steps to remedy this problem by establishing county wide public election funds that include matching funds for candidate who "prove" their ability to connect with voters at the grassroots level by collecting at least 250 individual donations of $150 or less. The Candidate must raise $20,000 before qualifying for three times matching funds (so raising at least $20,000 will earn them $60,000 from the fund for a total operating budget of $80,000). Represent Maryland strongly believes that public election funds are integral to restoring democracy and liberty in America, and therefore advocates for the expansion of this project across the state.
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​     All MoCo Candidates who opt in and qualify for the program will automatically be certified as "Small Money Candidates" by our commission. Candidate who do not have the option of receiving matching funds can qualify by meeting our criteria as outlined below. Because we know that it's incredibly hard to raise enough to be competitive by accepting individual donations only, we have allowed a number of organizational/PAC donations for this election cycle. As the public election fun program expands, and more candidates choose to use it, we hope to eliminate the need for this sort of certification all together. 

The RepMD Small Money Certification criteria disqualified any candidate for public office who takes contributions from the following:
​Registered Lobbyists, Federal or State
​Lobbying firms, Federal or State
​For Profit Corporations
Corporate PACs
​Real Estate Firms and Developers

​     We have also set a standard that all candidates should strive to raise at least 80% of the total number of contributions received from individuals and at least 60% of the total number received from individuals. Candidate should not receive more than 25% of their individual donations from outside the state of Maryland. 

​     We believe giving candidates these strong but reasonable guidelines will help them remember who they work for (all voters) and strengthen their dedication to working for the betterment of society as a whole, not special interests or for profit entities. 
​*Bundlers

​See the full criteria below. You can also download a pdf below for reference. 

​Candidates who would like to apply to be Small Money Certified can do so by clicking here. Certification requires that a candidate has filed at least one campaign finance report with the State Board of Elections. If a candidate has not yet filed, their certification research will begin after the next filing date. Incumbents, who have filed multiple reports with the SBE, will be researched for their most recent term. Incumbents who did not file the January 10 2018 report will be researched after the next filing deadline. 

​If a candidate qualifies, they will be added to our website, under "Small Money Certified" candidates and be send our certification seal to add to their campaign materials as needed. Small Money Certification DOES NOT equal an endorsement by Represent Maryland. RepMD never endorses candidates for public office. 

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Represent Maryland’s Clean Money Commission
Criteria for Certification

Part 1: Super PACs
Candidate will sign our pledge to not collude with superPACs*, as well as ask superPACs to not work on their behalf or against their opposition. Pledges will be shared through our social media and email channels. The candidate must also share this pledge through their website, social media and email channels. (*Collusion is already illegal, but candidates who believe in small money elections should be willing to publicly reinforce the law).


Part 2: Small Money Commission Acceptable Campaign Contribution Sources

Option 1-Public Campaign Funds
If available in their district, candidate must elect to use public campaign funds, and if so follow their mandated guidelines.
If a candidate uses this option and meets the criteria above, they will automatically be certified as a small money candidate.

Option 2-Traditional Fundraising
The following pertains to candidates with no public financing option available. Because we understand that it’s incredibly hard to run a successful campaign when only taking individual donations, the following criteria takes steps in the right direction while still allowing candidates to be competitive. As more public finance options become available, our criteria will become more strict.

​     1) Candidate will strive to collect at least 80% of their total number of contributions from individual donors
     2) Candidate will strive to collect at least 60% of their total money collected from individual donors
     3) Out of state individual donations should not exceed 25% of total money raise​
     4) Candidate will publicly disclose all bundlers working on their behalf, including union PACs
​     5) Incumbents or those seeking a higher office only:

• Incumbent candidates may not accept donation from industries they are currently responsible for regulating, including corporate or industry PACs, Union PACs and non profits for a period of 3 years prior to the race they are seeking certification in.

​Accepted contribution sources and types-Incumbents and New Candidates

Individual Donors

• Candidate can accept the legally allowed maximum, per cycle

In-State Small Businesses (Not publicly traded)

• Candidates can accept the legally maximum allowed, per cycle

Unions/Union PACs

• Candidates can accept the legal allowed maximum from any union, per cycle
• Unions who wish to support candidates with in-kind donations such as door knocking and phone banking should direct their interested members to the candidates committee for direct organizing and not organize on their behalf.
• Candidate must disclose any in-kind donations publicly (as listed above under bundlers)

Party Committees/PACs

• Candidate can accept the maximum allowed by law from each of their party committees, per cycle

Other Candidate PACs

• Candidates can accept the maximum allowed by law from other candidate committees, per cycle

Elected Officials (as individuals)

• Candidates can accept the maximum allowed by law from an elected official, as an individual, per cycle
• If the official is also the owner of a small business (not traded), the business can donate the maximum allowed by law, per cycle
• If the official is the chair of a caucus or leadership committee, the committee PAC can donate the maximum allowed by law, per cycle

In State Political Action Committees

• Candidates can accept the maximum allowed by law from a PAC which is NOT formed on behalf of a for-profit corporation or industry, per cycle (with the exception of unions, see above).
• Candidate will refuse any donations from PACs who work on behalf of for profit entities or industries (with the exception of unions, see above.)

Self Funded

• Candidates can ‘self’ accept donations up to, but no more than, 4 times the maximum allowed individual donation, through a combination* of self finance loans and personal contributions, per cycle
• The total combined amount accepted through these avenues cannot exceed $24,000 per cycle

Financial Institutions/Loans

• No limit on the amount of money a candidate can borrow from a lending institution

Leadership PACs

• Candidate can accept the maximum allowed donation by law, per cycle

Non Profit Corporations

• Candidate can accept the maximum allowed donation from a qualified non-profit corporation, per cycle
• Candidate should strive to receive no more than 15% of non profit donations from out of state entities

Professional Associations/PACs

• Candidate can accept the maximum allowed donation, per cycle

Political Clubs/PACs

• Candidate can accept the maximum allowed donation from an in state political club, per cycle
• Candidate should not accept donations from out of state political clubs/PACs

Slate Committees/PACs

• Candidates may accept the maximum allowed donation from a slate committee, per cycle

​Non-accepted contribution sources and types-Incumbents and New Candidates

For Profit Corporations/Corporate PACs

• Candidate should not accept donations from publicly traded corporations, whether in state or not.

Developers/Real Estate Firms

• Candidate should not accept donations from developers, whether in state or out of state.   

Lobbyists and Lobbying Firms

• Candidate may not accept any campaign donations from lobbying firms
• Candidate will not try to subvert this criterion by knowingly accepting donations from the spouses, employees or other family members of lobbyists.  
• No investment firms*

Out of State PACs

• Candidates may not accept monetary donations from PACs registered outside of the state of Maryland
• No representatives of foreign interests (law firms, etc.)*
  

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​*Added in 4.13.2018

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