Voters weigh whether to end public campaign finance program

Voters will soon get their say on the fate of Florida’s public campaign financing program after lawmakers approved a measure earlier this year putting the question on the November ballot.

During the 2024 Session, Sen. Travis Hutson sponsored a resolution (SJR 1114) to end the program, which he says is getting too costly and sapping funds that could be used elsewhere. That language will appear on the Nov. 5 ballot under Amendment 6.

Discussing the resolution in the Senate, Hutson said candidates accessed $13 million from the state in 2022, an increase from $10 million in 2018. Hutson said that money would be better spent in other areas, such as teacher pay or state pensions, among others.

The existing statutory language lays out the rationale behind the public funding pot.

“The Legislature finds that the costs of running an effective campaign for statewide office have reached a level which tends to discourage persons from becoming candidates and to limit the persons who run for such office to those who are independently wealthy, who are supported by political committees representing special interests which are able to generate substantial campaign contributions, or who must appeal to special interest groups for campaign contributions,” reads the current language.

The program launched after voters approved a ballot initiative in 1998. The constitutional provision created by 1998 amendment requires lawmakers to establish spending limits in order to access the funds, which are only available to candidates for statewide office.

Amendment 6 would repeal the language regarding public financing in the Florida Constitution. A similar effort failed in 2010.

But a group has launched to oppose the effort to unwind the program. Floridians for Open Democracy is urging voters to oppose Amendment 6, recently releasing a memo laying out their case.

“Amendment 6 makes it harder for new, more diverse leaders to run for statewide office,” the memo reads, adding that repeal of the public funding program “narrows the political field of who can run for Governor and Cabinet in 2026.”

“In a state where money in politics is already a significant problem, it provides yet another boost to the influence of big-money interests and undercuts the influence of Floridians,” the group added.

Floridians for Open Democracy correctly points out that the program has been used by both parties. But according to Hutson, incumbent Gov. Ron DeSantis received the bulk of public money in 2022, accessing $7.3 million compared to just $3.8 million for Democrat Charlie Crist. That’s despite DeSantis raking in millions in outside cash via a political committee that he later used to help support his 2024 presidential bid.

Both DeSantis and Hutson are Republicans.

Still, Floridians for Open Democracy says support for Amendment 6 would lead to moneyed interests “consolidating control of government.”

“You should not have to be rich to run for office. Floridians deserve fairer elections and a democracy that reflects our communities. Floridians want elected leaders who understand our everyday lives — leaders who will enact policies that address the real challenges we face. Public campaign financing helps make elected leaders like this possible and it does this by boosting the influence of everyday Floridians who make small-dollar campaign donations, giving Florida voters a greater say in who gets to represent them,” the group added.

“A more diverse pool of candidates fosters a more diverse group of elected leaders who come from the communities they serve and share the experiences and challenges of ordinary Floridians. Public campaign financing not only opens doors to candidates who otherwise couldn’t take the financial leap to run for office, it also makes constituents more important to campaigns and incentivizes elected leaders to be more responsive to the communities they serve. But the fact is, Amendment 6 would make it harder for women and People of Color to run for statewide office.”