Political Giving: Federal Limits for the 2009-2010 Cycle

Political giving is limited for federal races. DNC Treasurer Andrew Tobias explains the current limits and how to use them strategically.

   

By Andrew Tobias | Contact Andrew Tobias is Treasurer of the Democratic National Committee and founder of its LGBT Leadership Council. His twelve books include The Only Investment Guide You'll Ever Need and his coming out story: The Best Little Boy in the World. His anti-smoking commercials have run throughout the former Soviet Union. His work on auto insurance reform led to the placement of three initiatives on the March 1996 California ballot. He has received GLSEN's inaugural Valedictorian Award and the Fenway Community Health Center Visibility Award.

There are two buckets:

Bucket #1 is for checks you write to specific federal CANDIDATES.

Bucket #2 is for checks you write to federal PARTY COMMITTEES and to POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEES (PACs).

All this concerns FEDERAL giving only: House, Senate, White House.

None of what you contribute to state or local races (governor, mayor, state legislature, condo association) cuts into the limits of what you may give federally.

Here are the limits:

 

BUCKET #1 - FEDERAL CANDIDATES - $45,600 AGGREGATE LIMIT

For the 24-month 2009-2010 election cycle, the most any citizen (or Green Card holder) can give all candidates for federal office (House, Senate, White House) combined is $45,600.

Each partner can do that much.

> Within the $45,600, there are these limits: not more than $2,400 a year to any given primary or general election campaign. (A special "millionaire's" exemption allows larger contributions to a candidate who faces a hugely rich self-financing opponent.)

 

BUCKET #2 - FEDERAL COMMITTEES & PACS - $69,900 AGGREGATE LIMIT

For the 24-month 2009-2010 election cycle, the most any citizen (or Green Card holder) can give totals $69,900.

Again, each partner can do that much.

> Within the $69,900, there are these limits: not more than $5,000 a year to any given PAC. Not more than $30,400 a year to any given national committee. Not more than $10,000 a year to the "federal account" of a state party committee.

That's basically it.  As to strategy:

> Bucket #1 - We urge people to direct their precious $45,600 to key races, and to support the DSCC and DCCC by funding their candidates to the max.

> Bucket #2 - The DNC deserves your consideration for these dollars because our mission is to strengthen the party generally - to help all candidates, very much including House and Senate - and to fund ORGANIZING FOR AMERICA, the 50-state grassroots effort designed to help move the President's agenda, which includes our own. 

> We believe in supporting our state parties! But be certain, when you do, to designate very clearly on your check or in a transmittal letter whether your gift is to their federal or their non-federal account, so you (and they) know whether it counts against the above limits.

> 527's and c4's - These groups can take unlimited amounts of your money with no effect on your federal limits. We believe they do vital work, but that they are a - slightly - lower priority for two reasons. First, because there are some special restrictions on how this so-called "soft money" can be spent, it is not as powerful as hard money. Second, 527s and c4s have at least the theoretical legal ability to accept giant sums overnight from concerned billionaires to meet emergencies. The DNC has no such safety valve. It needs, instead, a great many donors at all levels to have the resources to compete and win.

 

Check also: Advance Equality - 7 Reasons to support the DNC

CLICK to email this page to your list