New New New New New New New New New New Yorkers Yorkers Yorkers Yorkers Yorkers Yorkers Yorkers Yorkers Yorkers Yorkers Make Make Make Make Make Make Make Make Make Make Their Their Their Their Their Their Their Their Their Their Voices Voices Voices Voices Voices Voices Voices Voices Voices Voices Heard Heard Heard Heard Heard Heard Heard Heard Heard Heard New New New New New New New New New New Yorkers Yorkers Yorkers Yorkers Yorkers Yorkers Yorkers Yorkers Yorkers Yorkers Make Make Make Make Make Make Make Make Make Make Their Their Their Their Their Their Their Their Their Their Voices Voices Voices Voices Voices Voices Voices Voices Voices Voices Heard Heard Heard Heard Heard Heard Heard Heard Heard Heard New New New New New New New New New New Yorkers Yorkers Yorkers Yorkers Yorkers Yorkers Yorkers Yorkers Yorkers Yorkers Make Make Make Make Make Make Make Make Make Make Their Their Their Their Their Their Their Their Their Their Voices Voices Voices Voices Voices Voices Voices Voices Voices Voices Heard Heard Heard Heard Heard Heard Heard Heard Heard Heard New New New New New New New New New New Yorkers Yorkers Yorkers Yorkers Yorkers Yorkers Yorkers Yorkers Yorkers Yorkers Make Make Make Make Make Make Make Make Make Make Their Their Their Their Their Their Their Their Their Their Voices Voices Voices Voices Voices Voices Voices Voices Voices Voices Heard Heard Heard Heard Heard Heard Heard Heard Heard Heard New New New New New New New New New New Yorkers Yorkers Yorkers Yorkers Yorkers Yorkers Yorkers Yorkers Yorkers Yorkers Make Make Make Make Make Make Make Make Make Make Their Their Their Their Their Their Their Their Their Their Voices Voices Voices Voices AVoices Report Voiceson the 2009Voices ElectionsVoices Voices Voices Heard Heard Heard Heard Heard Heard Heard Heard Heard Heard New New New New New New New New New New Yorkers Yorkers Yorkers Yorkers Yorkers Yorkers Yorkers Yorkers Yorkers Yorkers Make Make Make Make Make Make Make Make Make Make Their Their Their Their Their Their Their Their Their Their Voices Voices Voices Voices Voices Voices Voices Voices Voices Voices Heard Heard Heard Heard Heard Heard Heard Heard Heard Heard New New New New New New New New New New Yorkers Yorkers Yorkers Yorkers Yorkers Yorkers Yorkers Yorkers Yorkers Yorkers Make Make Make Make Make Make Make Make Make Make Their Their Their Their Their Their Their Their Their Their Voices Voices Voices Voices Voices Voices Voices Voices Voices Voices Heard Heard Heard Heard Heard Heard Heard Heard Heard Heard New New New New New New New New New New Yorkers Yorkers Yorkers Yorkers Yorkers Yorkers Yorkers Yorkers Yorkers Yorkers Copyright © 2010 New York City Campaign Finance Board 40 Rector Street New York, New York 10006 All rights reserved. Printed in New Jersey. Board Members and Staff Joseph P. Parkes, S.J. | Chairman Art Chang | Board Member Richard J. Davis | Board Member Courtney C. Hall* | Board Member Mark S. Piazza | Board Member Amy M. Loprest | Executive Director Shauna Tarshis Denkensohn | Deputy Executive Director Sue Ellen Dodell | General Counsel Elizabeth Bauer | Chief of Administrative Services Daniel Cho | Director of Candidate Services Eric Friedman | Director of External Affairs Peri Horowitz | Director of Special Compliance and Policy Assurance Diana Lundy | Chief of Data Operations / Records Manager Kenneth O’Brien | Director of Systems Administration Julius Peele | Director of Auditing and Accounting Elizabeth A. Upp | Director of Communications Peggy A. Willens | Director of Management Analysis and Operations * Mr. Hall was appointed to the Board to replace Katheryn C. Patterson on July 28, 2010, just as this report was going to print. Administrative Services Communications Systems Eric Armstead Crystal Choy Marina Bardash Dolores Fisher Winnie Ng Marc Bratman Man Wai Gin Todd Raphael Shawn Crawford James Graham Andrew Saulter Ruslan Gendelman Lillie Holley Edgar Gorodetsky Arva Lewis-Blackwood Anne Guo Data Operations Mary Young Suzanne Kizis Nicole Brickner Cheryl Laner Justin Brown Viktoriya Lyubeznik Auditing & Accounting Rudy Castro Madhusudan Naidu Ahmad Ali Rhonda Gaskins Kiko Nesbitt Stephanie Arthur Chelsea Jackson Tommy Ng John Brickner Gail Pickett Christopher Perrone Joseph Cormier Maran-Atha Taylor Edward Gaston External Affairs Simon Wu Denise Gordon-Smith Joseph Ferris William Hattar Ilona Kramer Melody Lee Alison Levy Nailaja Mingo Executive Staff Diandria Mounier Cathy Calandra Isaac Nyarko Susan Di Muria Lisa Ritchie Joan Russell-Benjamin Legal Matthew Salber Mark Griffin Shena Sealy Seth Grossman Patricia Toney Katharine Loving Olessia Yamin Veena Mohandoss Seong Yang Donna Ng Michael O’Keefe Candidate Services Christopher Oldenburg Joanne Bianco Mark Sattinger Elizabeth Carmona Jihee Suh Leahruth Jemilo Hillary Weisman Selene Mendoza Adam Schafenberg Special Compliance & Policy Assurance Laura Bram Kevin Dowling iv 2009 Post-Election Report Report Team Editor Editor, Administrative Report Eric Friedman Peggy A. Willens Deputy Editors Writers / Fact Checkers Joseph Ferris Laura Bram Ilona Kramer Kevin Dowling Michael Goldberg Art Director Julia Greenberg Seth Grossman Winnie Ng Peri Horowitz Leahruth Jemilo Production Amanda Konstam Crystal Choy Ellen Liu Katharine Loving Appendices & Data Selene Mendoza Michael O’Keefe Marc Bratman Todd Raphael Shawn Crawford Matthew Salber Ruslan Gendelman Mark Sattinger Edgar Gorodetsky Adam Schafenberg Anne Guo Justin Spiegel Andrew Saulter Maran-Atha Taylor Elizabeth Upp vi 2009 Post-Election Report Foreword The 2009 election year marked the twentieth anniversary of the first election held under the Campaign Finance Program. In that 1989 election, a three-term incumbent mayor failed to win re-election, as New York City voters elected the first African American mayor in the city’s history. New Yorkers immediately saw the possibilities of politics under this new system — large contributions and special interest money were no longer the most Father Joseph P. Parkes, S.J. important factors in city elections, and the Chairman of the value of grassroots support from average New NYC Campaign Finance Board Yorkers was magnified. Five citywide elections have been held in the years since. The 2009 election season was no less remarkable, for many reasons. With two-term incumbents able to run for re-election, many believed the 2009 elections would provide little drama, that incumbents would coast straight through Election Day towards their third terms. Quite the con- trary, spirited challenges ensured that incumbents of every stripe were forced to engage their constituents and make their case to the voters. On Election Day, New Yorkers made their voices heard. The incumbent may- or, who opted to run outside the Program and spend more than $100 mil- lion on his campaign, was re-elected by only a slim margin, surprising the pundits and pollsters. Five upstart challengers, each of whom participated in the Program, defeated incumbent opponents in City Council elections — an unprecedented level of success for insurgents on the Council. The slate of officials elected in 2009 was the most diverse in city history. The results made it clear that access to large contributions or personal wealth provides no guarantee of success. Instead, candidates who made an effort to concentrate their fundraising efforts towards average New York- ers were rewarded. Legislation enacted before the election helped increase the value of small contributions in two significant ways. First, so-called “pay-to-play” contributions from people doing business with city govern- ment were made subject to new, low limits, eliminating a ready source of large, influence-seeking contributions. Second, the rate at which New Yorkers’ small contributions are matched with public funds was increased, from $4-to-$1 to $6-to-$1, providing an even greater incentive for candidates to focus on low-dollar fundraising. These important reforms helped set the stage for the modest upheaval the city experienced with last fall’s elections. For these reasons and more, New York City’s program remains a national model for a well-functioning cam- paign finance system. Still, there are challenges for the Program and the CFB looming on the horizon. A hostile judicial environment for common-sense campaign finance regulation could transform those challenges into more serious threats. Third parties and outside groups have stepped up their independent spending in city elec- tions. This spending is unlimited, and largely undisclosed. The U.S. Supreme Court decision inCitizens United has the potential to encourage corporations, unions, and other actors to increase their independent efforts on behalf of candidates. More disclosure is needed. Other recent decisions regarding public financing systems have raised concerns about whether the Program will be able to continue to maintain its high levels of participation, especially when candidates must face high- spending, non-participating opponents. Our 2009 elections provided an unmistakable reminder of how a little extra help can go a long way. New York City’s program has thrived not because it replaces all private money with public funds but because it encourages candidates to raise private funds the right way: in small amounts, from the citizens whose approval they seek. The Program’s generous provision of public funds combined with reasonable limits on private contributions and spending has ensured that participation in our system remains high. The more candidates who take part,