For gubernatorial candidates, qualifying for a full match of public funds is harder that it looks

Spending limits for gubernatorial primaries have increased from $1,050,000 in 1981 to $7.3 million in 2021, a cap set every four years by the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission.

Under the state law establishing the public financing in governor’s races, ELEC was authorized to “establish an index reflecting the changes occurring in the general level of prices of particular goods and services . . . directly affecting the overall costs of election campaigning in this state.”   In the last two cycles, the cap has increased by about 14%.

New Jersey matches every qualified donation on a $2 for every $1 system.   In the last election, candidates had to raise a threshold of $490,000 to participate in the public financing program.

Recipients of matching funds must adhere to the spending limit; some candidates opt not to participate in order to spend more money in pursuit of their party’s nomination.  Phil Murphy (2017), Chris Christie (2013), and Jon Corzine (2005 and 2009) didn’t sign up for public financing.

Even with public financing, the full field of candidates hasn’t been on equal footing in a gubernatorial primary since 2001.

More often than not, candidates don’t raise enough to qualify for the full match in primaries.  Two years ago, when $4.6 million in matching funds was available, only former Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli hit the mark in the Republican primary.

Candidates in 2017 could have received up to $4 million, but none did.  Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno received $2.25 million, former Deputy U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Jim Johnson got $2.1 million, Assemblyman John Wisniewski took in $1.3 million, and Ciattarelli qualified for $1.1 million.    State Sen. Barbara Buono received a match of just $1.8 million in 2013 out of a possible $3.5 million; she was unopposed in the Democratic primary.

In 2009, Christie received the full match ($3.1 million), while his primary challenger, Steve Lonegan, got $2.7 million.

None of the six Republicans challenging self-funder Doug Forrester in the 2005 gubernatorial primary received the full $2.7 million match: the most public funds went to former Jersey City Mayor Bret Schundler ($1.9 million); the least went to former Bergen County Freeholder Todd Caliguire ($517,000).

While running unopposed, three incumbent governors – Thomas Kean in 1985, Jim Florio in 1993, and Christine Todd Whitman in 1997 – qualified for a full match in the primary election.

In the race to take on Kean, three candidates received the full 1985 match of 643,572: Essex County Executive Peter Shapiro, Senate Majority Leader John Russo, and former State Sen. Stephen Wiley.  Newark Mayor Kenneth Gibson fell a little short ($601,410); Robert Del Tufo, a former attorney general and U.S. Attorney, received $445,136 in matching funds.

In 1989, one Democrat – Rep. Jim Florio – and four Republicans – Rep. Jim Courter, former Attorney General Cary Edwards, State Sen. Bill Gormley, and Assembly Speaker Chuck Hardwick – received the maximum public financing in the primary — $1.35 million.  Three other candidates who qualified for matching funds fell didn’t get the full amount: former Assembly Speaker Alan Karcher ($759,334), State Sen. Gerald Cardinale ($728,991), and Princeton Mayor Barbara Boggs Sigmund ($420,428).

Whitman and Edwards received the full $1.6 million in matching funds in 1993, but former State Sen. James Wallwork qualified for $832,211.   In 1997, State Sen./Woodbridge Mayor James E. McGreevey and Rep. Rob Andrews received the maximum $1.9 million; former Morris County Prosecutor Michael Murphy got $1 million.

The 1981 governor’s race was the first primary with public financing – the program took effect with the 1977 general election – and more candidates fell short of the full match than received it.

Four candidates – Florio, Kean, former Attorney General John Degnan, Senate President Joseph Merlino, Paterson Mayor Pat Kramer, and Jersey City Mayor Thomas F.X. Smith – received the full $600,000 matches; Wallwork received $557,595.

The rest of the field qualified for much less: Gibson ($393,879); former Senate President Frank “Pat” Dodd ($327,544); State Sen. William Hamilton ($309,679); Senate Minority Leader Barry Parker ($306,042); former Secretary of State Donald Lan ($249,920); Hamilton Mayor Jack Rafferty ($246,675); former Board of Public Utilities President Richard McGlynn ($233,917); and former Human Services Commissioner Ann Klein ($52,764).