Photo by Sharon McCutcheon on Unsplash
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the appointment of longtime labor leader, Larry Moskowitz, to the New York City Campaign Finance Board (CFB) on Thursday, April 29. According to the press release, the CFB is an independent and non-partisan agency that administers one of the strongest, most effective campaign finance systems in the country.
“As New Yorkers prepare to make their voices heard in local elections this year, they need a Campaign Finance Board that ensures the democratic process is conducted with integrity and fairness. Larry Moskowitz is the perfect choice to carry the CFB’s work forward in this crucial year,” said De Blasio. “Larry is a longtime advocate for workers’ rights in this city, and he will work tirelessly to give New Yorkers the election integrity they deserve.”
Meanwhile, Moskowitz said New York City’s campaign finance program was one of the most progressive political reforms in the country. “The matching funds give people who otherwise do not have access to money a real shot at running for office,” he said. “I am pleased to join the Board during this very important election year.”
According to City officials, Moskowitz marched in his first picket line in 1964, demanding federal intervention to protect three civil rights workers killed in Philadelphia Mississippi. This inspired his passion for labor and social justice movements. Most recently, Moskowitz served as social justice director of the Workers Circle, an American Jewish nonprofit that promotes social and economic justice, Jewish community, and education.
City officials said that in 2014, the CFBs newest board member served as labor union coordinator of the People’s Climate March, where he organized the participation of over 80 labor organizations. “Moskowitz was the founding staff member of the Working Families Party and held various roles for over 15 years, most recently as National Labor Director of the Party National Expansion Project,” they said. “He was involved in numerous statewide campaigns, including the $15 minimum wage and the Green Light Bill, which allows all New Yorkers, regardless of immigration status, the opportunity to earn a driver’s license.”
The CFB provides public funds to candidates running for city office. According to the agency, so-called “matching funds” provide candidates with a strong incentive to finance their campaigns by engaging with average New Yorkers instead of seeking large contributions from special interests.
As such, the “matching funds program” should, in theory, empower more candidates to run for office, even those without access to wealth, since the City “matches” (using public funds) the dollars raised by the candidates themselves. According to the CFB, candidates who join can build viable, competitive campaigns, through the voluntary public financing program.
The program matches small-dollar contributions from individuals who reside in New York City, in accordance with specific ratios and thresholds, depending on the office sought, as outlined in the following table.
Image courtesy of the New York City Campaign Finance Board
Any candidate running for municipal office (mayor, comptroller, public advocate, borough president, and city council) may join the program. The program does not cover county district attorney offices or state or federal offices.
To receive public funds, candidates must:
- Meet a two-part fundraising threshold:
- Collect a minimum number of contributions (of $10 or more) from the area they seek to represent. (For example, candidates for City Council must have 75 contributors from their district; candidates for borough president must have 100 contributors from their borough.)
- Raise a minimum amount of qualifying contributions from NYC residents (only the matchable portion of the contributions counts towards this threshold).
- Certify agreement to and demonstrate compliance with the requirements of the Act and the CFB rules.
- Be on the ballot, and have an opponent on the ballot.
- Submit a personal financial disclosure filing with the Conflicts of Interest Board
Attached below is the latest available campaign finance summary for candidates running in the Bronx borough presidency June 22 primary election, as per the CFB. As reported previously by Norwood News, not all candidates listed made the final ballot, following the Board of Elections official confirmation posted Thursday, April 29.
Those who did include Councilman for City Council District 14, Fernando Cabrera, Assemblywoman for Assembly District 80, Nathalia Fernández, Councilwoman for City Council District 16, Vanessa Gibson, retired NYPD detective, Samuel Ravelo and State Sen. Luis Sepúlveda.
Image courtesy of New York City Campaign Finance Board
Meanwhile, in the District 11 City Council, June 22, 2021 primary election, the latest available campaign finance summary is outlined below, as per the CFB.
As previously reported, both Abigail Martin and Marcos Sierra dropped out of the District 11 March 23 special election and as a result, have not had the same level of expenditure as those who ran in that race. Both Dionel Then and Jessica Haller have dropped out. Kevin Pazmino did not, according to CFB records, make the ballot, as reported previously, but in any case did not participate in the matching funds program.
Image courtesy of New York City Campaign Finance Board
The latest available campaign finance summary for those who did run in the District 11 March 23 special election is outlined below, as per the CFB.
Image courtesy of New York City Campaign Finance Board
Below is the latest available campaign finance summary for the District 14 City Council June 22, 2021 primary election, as per the CFB.
Image courtesy of New York City Campaign Finance Board
Below is the latest available campaign finance summary for the District 15 City Council June 22, 2021 primary election, as per the CFB. as reported, Elisa Crespo and Julian Sepúlveda have dropped out. Again, As reported previously, not all candidates made the ballot.
Image courtesy of New York City Campaign Finance Board
The latest available campaign finance summary for those who did run in the District 15 March 23 special election is outlined below in two parts, as per the CFB.
Image courtesy of New York City Campaign Finance Board
Image courtesy of New York City Campaign Finance Board
The City’s CFB has paid out unprecedented amounts of matching funds to candidates running for office this year, as reported recently by Gothamist.
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Welcome to the Norwood News, a bi-weekly community newspaper that primarily serves the northwest Bronx communities of Norwood, Bedford Park, Fordham and University Heights. Through our Breaking Bronx blog, we focus on news and information for those neighborhoods, but aim to cover as much Bronx-related news as possible. Founded in 1988 by Mosholu Preservation Corporation, a not-for-profit affiliate of Montefiore Medical Center, the Norwood News began as a monthly and grew to a bi-weekly in 1994. In September 2003 the paper expanded to cover University Heights and now covers all the neighborhoods of Community District 7. The Norwood News exists to foster communication among citizens and organizations and to be a tool for neighborhood development efforts. The Norwood News runs the Bronx Youth Journalism Heard, a journalism training program for Bronx high school students. As you navigate this website, please let us know if you discover any glitches or if you have any suggestions. We’d love to hear from you. You can send e-mails to norwoodnews@norwoodnews.org or call us anytime (718) 324-4998.
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