Senate Candidate O’Brien Builds Support for Publicly Financed Campaigns
East Rochester, NY – To highlight his commitment to reforming New York’s flawed campaign finance system and implementing publicly financed Fair Elections, State Senate candidate Ted O’Brien hosted a small dollar fundraiser this evening at Perlo’s in East Rochester after receiving endorsements from local police and firefighters unions.
The fundraiser is one of many planned for the next few weeks across New York by progressive, pro-reform candidates who believe the current campaign finance system is stacked in favor of big money CEO campaign contributors and riddled with loopholes that enable them and their corporations to buy our elections. The maximum contribution allowed is $175 but many of the donations were well below that.
Publicly financed Fair Elections would allow for greater small donor participation and if candidates opt in, it would allow any small contributions they receive to be matched by public funds.
“This fundraiser is but one example showing the broad grassroots support across New York for publicly financed Fair Elections and comprehensive reform of the campaign finance system and we applaud Ted O’Brien for his commitment to reform,” said Karen Scharff, Executive Director of Citizen Action of New York. “This fundraiser proves that Fair Elections sponsor small-donor participation. Across the country, there is a movement to curtail the dominance of corporate money in our elections. By implementing Fair Elections, New York could be a leader for the entire country.”
His opponent, Assemblyman Sean Hanna, has not shown a similar commitment to reform, his campaign being overwhelmingly funded by corporate interests and political action committees.
“My campaign is focused on issues that impact the local economy – cutting property taxes for struggling families, eliminating tax breaks for companies that send jobs overseas and making sure women earn equal pay for equal work,” said Ted O’Brien. “That’s why I’ve earned so much grassroots support from middle class families living in the district I hope to represent. While my opponent is more interested in protecting tax breaks for corporations outsourcing Monroe and Ontario county jobs overseas, I’m excited to fight for the middle class in Albany.”
To learn more about publicly financed Fair Elections, go to http://www.fairelectionsny.org
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