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...... -an Elect m. n . ..... Tha Road T6 Cle The To Clean E It .................. ........ ... ....... . ............ Instead of the a 11 too election year story ....... .... ................ ........... ............. -- ---------------- . . ........... . ......... .......... v' ----- ------- .... ...... about good eo 1 1 eav in g o ffice or choosing not to ... �.�`' run because they didn't want to spend a majority of their time fiandraising, Arizonans and Mainers heard something uplifting. They heard from first-time candi- ...... dates taking a chance on politics because they wanted to serve the public and felt they had a fair shot of win- .......... nmg. They heard from incumbents who were thrilled ------------ to be able to spend their campaign time with their con- ..................... ........................ stituents listening to voters' concerns, instead of ....... .... ................ .. ................... . .. .......... ............... ------------------------ ........................ ................................ ............ ----- ..... ending countless hours wooing potential donors. --- sp ------------- ........ ... -------- .... ........ .. ................. ........... Maine's Portland Press Herald hit the mark in saying .............. .............. .:::::::::::.. .. ....... ........... IW' .......... ------------ ---------------- LN that the new Clean Elections system "should be .... .................... ........... . ........... -------------- .............. ;:::: .::........ ....................... ................ ........................... . the model for a national campaign finance refon-n -4-4-W . ........... ........ . ....................... ... ....... ...... .......... . .......... .. .......... ........... . .................... program. ....................M.M.: . -_ Sixty-six percent of the Clean Election candidates were . ... .. ........................ 4% Democrats, 30 percent Republicans and four percent ........... .... were third party candidates. Almost half the races had at to ad f least one candidate running "clean." Small dollar donor to .............. ............ . ............. .... ......... articipation was high, too, with over 10,000 registered p .................... do .... ......... ...... voters making a$5 qualifying contribution. . .......... ..... ............. ......... ........... ........... ...... .......... Clean Elections had a powerful effect in Maine. ...................... ............... There were more contested primaries, with many candi- dates saying that the program was central to their deci- . ................. sion to run as they did not want to ask friends, business I" "S phe"Me- .............. ............ ...... ..... ..... people or special interests to finance their campaigns. Arizona also saw a big increase in the number of J0 _64!;. her mc candidates for office. There was a 58 percent increase he A� M,a M,00. 00 o. n Da ..t Vft nd V a between the 1996 and 2000 election cycles in the num- 6 400� ComnVfte and the Mi" &W meaw ber of people who ran. There were fewer uncontested races as well. In 1996, 5 1 races were contested as com- pared to 82 in 2000. Almost one-third of all legislative The Clean lct s toption candidates ran "clean." In addition, five of seven candi- A Road Oft Taken dates for the Corporation Commission, a statewide In both Maine and Arizona, candidates who agree office with broad regulatory power, ran with Clean to raise no private money and abide by spending lim- its can choose to be part of the Clean Elections system. . .......... ............. .............. . ............. .. ................ ........... . . .................... .. . .......... . ...................... .... . . ............ . .. .................... Once they collect a set number of $5 qualifying con- .............. ... ...... ............. . . ............... .. ...................... . ......... ... ......................... . ... .......... ............ .. .......... .k tributions from voters in their district demonstrating . ........... .......... .................... ic suppo they receive a limit- .. . ......... .......................... ------------------------ . .......................... ..........----------- ............ W. that they have real publ' rt, ................ - ed and equal grant of public funds with which to ............ ......... .. .......... finance their campaigns. They also can receive adds- .11.. . ..... .. . .. ... .......... . ......... . for:904 ft tional matclung funds if they are faced with a high- spending privately financed candidate. The numbers show that the option of running no- ... ............... strings-attached proved attractive to a broad variety of is r. ------------ ........ . ................................. ..... . ................. ... ....... ............. ---------- ............................... ------- ow ............... .............. .............. ff candidates. In Maine of the 35 1 candidates who ran in .......... ............. ........ ................. .. . ......... ....... .................... ............. ........... . ...... ... ............. ... the general election for the state legislature in 2000, ::: ........... .. .......... . ....... ----------- .......... .. ................... . ............ ............................. ----------- - ---------- ......... ........... .................... x-x---- --- 116 ran with public funding provided by the Clean hm~. .......... . . .............. . .. .................... . ............. ............ . .... ............. .................... ...... .. . . .. .. ..... r the . ....... Election Act. Thirty-two percent of the candidates who $4.0...Aw Local ............. chose the Clean Election option were incumbents. � mft"on Sodaabd mss.