An Act To Create Optional Public Financing of Legislative Leadership Elections
Maine Legislature, Session 123, LD 0636
Committee: Legal and Veterans Affairs
Sponsors: VALENTINO, BEAUDOIN, BURNS, CONNOR, GROSE, JACKSON, MUSE, PERCY
Amends: 21-A MRSA §1, 21-A MRSA §1019-B, 21-A MRSA §1122, 21-A MRSA §1123, 21-A MRSA §1124, 21-A MRSA §1125

Legislative Document 
No. 636 
H.P.485 
House of Representatives, February 8, 2007 
An Act To Create Optional Public Financing of Legislative 
Leadership Elections 
Reference to the Committee on Legal and Veterans Affairs suggested and ordered printed. 
Presented by Representative VALENTINO of Saco. 
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frl· 7f!tJ£~{ 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Cosponsored by Representatives: BEAUDOIN of Biddeford, BURNS of Berwick, 
CAS A V ANT of Biddeford, CONNOR of Kennebunk, GROSE of Woolwich, JACKSON of 
Allagash, MUSE of Fryeburg, PERCY of Phippsburg. 
Prmteu un recycled paper 
Be it enacted by t~e'People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 21-A MRSA §1, sub-§21-A is enacted to read: 
21-A. Leadership position. "Leadership position" means the position of President 
of the Senate, Speaker of the House of Representatives, leader of a party in the Senate, 
leader of a party in the House of Representatives, assistant leader of a party in the Senate 
or assistant leader of a party in the House of Representatives. 
Sec. 2. 21-A MRSA §1019-B, sub-§l, ~, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 448, §3, is 
amended to read: 
B. 
Is presumed in races involving a candidate who is certified as a Maine Clean 
Election Act candidate under section 1125, subsection 5 or IS to be any expenditure 
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made to design, produce or disseminate a communication that names or depicts a 
clearly identified candidate and is disseminated during the 21 days, including election 
day, before a primary election; the 21 days, including election day, before a general 
election; or during a special election or election for a leadership position until and on 
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election day. 
Sec. 3. 21-A MRSA §1122, sub-§9, as amended by PL 2005, c. 30 I, §28, IS 
further amended to read: 
9. Seed money contribution. "Seed money contribution" meilns a contribution of 
no more than $100 per individual made to a candidate, including a contribution from the 
candidate or the candidate's family. 
To be eligible for certification, a candidate may 
collect and spend only seed money contributions subsequent to becoming a candidate as 
defined by section 1, subsection 5 or section 1125, subsection IS and throughout the 
qualifying period. A participating candidate who has accepted contributions or made 
expenditures that do not comply with the seed money restrictions under this chapter may 
petition the commission to remain eligible for certification as a Maine Clean Election Act 
candidate in accordance with rules of the commission, if the failure to comply was 
unintentional and does not constitute a significant infraction of these restrictions. Prior to 
certification, a candidate may obligate an amount greater than the seed money collected if 
the value of the goods and services received from a vendor does not exceed the amount 
paid to the vendor. A candidate may not collect or spend seed money contributions after 
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certification as a Maine Clean Election Act candidate. A seed money contribution must 
be reported according to procedures developed by the commission. 
Sec. 4. 21-A MRSA §1123, as enacted by IB 1995. c. I, § 17, is amended to read: 
§1123. Alternative campaign financing option 
This chapter establishes an alternative campaign financing option available to 
candidates running for Governor, State Senator attd, State Representative and leadership 
posItIons. 
This alternative campaign financing option is available to candidates for 
elections to be held beginning in the year 2000. The commission shall administer this 
Act and the fund. Candidates participating in the Maine Clean Election Act mllst also 
comply with all other applicable election and campaign laws and regulations. 
~ 
Sec. 5. 21-A MRSA §1124, sub-§l, as enacted by IB 1995, c. 1, §I7, is amended 
to read: 
1. 
Established. 
The Maine Clean Election Fund is established to finance the 
election campaigns of certified Maine Clean Election Act candidates running for 
Governor, State Senator afl6, State Representative and leadership positions and to pay 
administrative and enforcement costs of the commission related to this Act. The fund is a 
special, dedicated, non lapsing fund and any interest generated by the fund is credited to 
the fund. The commission shall administer the fund. 
Sec. 6. 21-A MRSA §1125, sub-§9, as repealed and replaced by PL 2003, c. 688, 
Pt. A, §22, is amended to read: 
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9. Matching funds. When any campaign, finance or election report shows that the 
sum of a candidate's expenditures or obligations, or funds raised or borrowed, whichever 
is greater, alone or in conjunction with independent expenditures reported under section 
1019-8, exceeds the distribution amount under subsection 8, the commission shall issue 
immediately to any opposing Maine Clean Election Act candidate an additional amount 
equivalent to the reported excess. Matching funds are limited to 2 times the amount 
originally distributed under subsection 8, paragraph A, C, E or F, whichever is applicable. 
A candidate for a leadership position under subsection 15 may not receive matching 
funds under this subsection. 
Sec. 7. 21-A MRSA §1125, sub-§15 is enacted to read: 
15. 
Leadership positions. 
A certified candidate for State Senator or State 
Representative under subsection 5 who intends to run for a leadership position must run 
for a leadership position as a Maine Clean Election Act candidate. 
The following 
provisions apply to a candidate for a leadership position who runs as a Maine Clean 
Election Act candidate: 
A. A certified candidate who wishes to run for a leadership position in the Senate 
must collect 7 signatures in supp0l1 of the candidate's leadership candidacy from 
members of the candidate's partv currentlv serving in the Senate for the upcoming 
election: 
B. A certified candidate who wishes to run for a leadership position in the House of 
Representatives must collect 20 signatures in support of the candidate's leadership 
candidacy from members of the candidate's party currently serving in the House of 
Representatives for the upcoming election: 
C. A certified candidate who wishes to run for a leadership position must file a letter 
of intent with the commission after certification_under subsection 5 and within 3 da\ s 
of becoming a candidate fSlI.J! leadersQ!p position. The commission sh(jlLcer!jJv the 
candidate as a candidate tQr1!J~,!Qc:nihip_R9sitiQ~upon receipt of the lQ!t(?I o[iIJtS~!lt 
t1~5igllatuI!:::>'J'eqllil~efLunder this subsection and confirmation thaj the candiciillc is 
(?_~JiJi~d 19rJJ~lIPc:()m_iml election under subsection 5: 
D. Prior to certification under this subsection, a candidate certified under subsection 
must collect an amount egual to 10% of the funds received ~_candidatellILclcr 
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paragraph E in seed money. 
Seed money received under this paragraph may not 
come from an out-of-state donor; 
E. 
Within 3 days after a candidate's certification under this subsection, the 
commission shall distribute $20,000 to a candidate for Speaker of the House of 
Representatives, $15,000 to a candidate for President of the Senate, $10,000 to a 
candidate for leader or assistant leader of a party in the House of Representatives and 
$5,000 to a candidate for leader or assistant leader of a party in the Senate. An 
unspent balance of funds received under this paragraph subsequent to the leadership 
election must be returned to the Maine Clean Election Fund; 
F. A candidate certified under this subsection may not contribute any funds to a 
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candidate, campaign, political committee or political action committee during the 
campaign for the leadership position; 
G. A candidate who receives funds under this subsection for a leadership campaign 
may not accept or expend any other funds in running for a leadership position for that 
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campaign; and 
H. A candidate who receives funds under this subsection may not serve as an officer 
of or have control over a political action committee that contributes to a campaign in 
the State. 
The commission shall establish reporting requirements under this subsection. 
The 
commission may adopt routine technical rules pursuant to Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 
2-A to carry out the purposes of this subsection. 
SUMMARY 
This bill allows Maine Clean Election Act financing for candidates in legislative 
leadership races. A candidate for a leadership position must already be a Maine Clean 
Election Act candidate. 
A candidate for a Senate leadership position must obtain 7 
signatures from members of the candidate's pal1y who are currently serving in the Senate, 
and a candidate for a leadership position in the House of Representatives must collect 20 
signatures from members of the candidate's party who are currently serving in the House 
of Representatives. 
A Maine Clean Election Act candidate who wishes to run for a 
leadership position must collect up to an amount equal to 10% of the clean election 
distribution the candidate will receive from the Maine Clean Election Fund in seed 
money and may come only from in-state donors. A Maine Clean Election Act leadership 
candidate receives from $5,000 to $20,000 depending on the leadership office to spend on 
the leadership campaign and is not allowed to contribute to a candidate, campaign, 
political committee or political action committee during the leadership campaign. An 
unspent balance of funds received under this paragraph subsequent to the leadership 
election must be returned to the Maine Clean Election Fund. A Maine Clean Election Act 
leadership candidate may not be an officer of or have control over a political action 
committee. 
An opposing candidate for a leadership position does not qualify for 
matching funds under this bill.