New York Republican gubernatorial nominee Bruce Blakeman was denied millions of dollars of public campaign matching funds following a decision by the state panel that oversees the program.
The state Public Campaign Finance Board on Tuesday voted 4-3 on a resolution that disqualifies Blakeman from the program over a technicality — that Madison County Sheriff Todd Hood, Blakeman’s running mate, did not submit his own paperwork applying for matching funds, a new requirement added just a few months ago.
But Blakeman allies believe the decision is a partisan one, as the Public Campaign Finance Board has a four-to-three Democratic majority.
“This is an abomination of trying to do bureaucratic nonsense, to try to eliminate candidates for an election and it defeats the whole purpose of a public campaign finance board to give confidence to the voters, to the donors that want to participate,” said Republican Brian Kolb, vice chair of the Public Campaign Finance Board and former state Assembly minority leader in the Tuesday meeting before the vote.
The program, first used in New York in the 2024 elections, means political campaigns can match low-dollar donations with public money. Gov. Hochul is not participating in the program in this election, though her campaign has $20 million cash on hand, millions of dollars ahead of Blakeman.
The decision was anticipated by Blakeman and others, and condemned by government watchdog groups like Reinvent Albany, which said Blakeman’s campaign should have gotten more help from the board.
The Blakeman campaign has the opportunity to appeal the board’s decision.