Candidacy - Limitations On Contributions - Government - CA

Section § 85200

Before asking for or accepting any donations or loans, anyone wanting to run for a state office in California must first file an 'intention to run' statement with the Secretary of State, signed under penalty of perjury. For those running for other offices, this statement must be filed where they would normally file a campaign statement. Additionally, any money a candidate uses from their own funds to pay for filing fees or statement of qualifications fees doesn't count as a contribution or loan.

Prior to the solicitation or receipt of any contribution or loan, an individual who intends to be a candidate for an elective state office, as that term is defined by Section 82024, shall file with the Secretary of State an original statement, signed under penalty of perjury, of intention to be a candidate for a specific office.

An individual who intends to be a candidate for any other elective office shall file the statement of intention with the same filing officer and in the same location as the individual would file an original campaign statement pursuant to subdivisions (b), (c), and (d) of Section 84215.

For purposes of this section, “contribution” and “loan” do not include any payments from the candidate’s personal funds for a candidate filing fee or a candidate statement of qualifications fee.

candidate intention statement state office candidacy filing with Secretary of State ...

Section § 85200

If you're planning to run for a state office in California, you must first file an official statement with the Secretary of State before collecting any campaign funds or loans. This statement shows your intention to run and must be signed under penalty of perjury. For local offices, you need to file this intention statement where your campaign documents are usually filed.

Spending your own money on filing fees or qualification fees is not considered a campaign contribution or loan.

Prior to the solicitation or receipt of any contribution or loan, an individual who intends to be a candidate for an elective state office, as that term is defined by Section 82024, shall file online or electronically with the Secretary of State an original statement, signed under penalty of perjury, of intention to be a candidate for a specific office.

candidate intention statement elective state office campaign contributions ...

Section § 85201

In California, if you're running for office and have decided to start a campaign, you need to open a campaign contribution account at a financial institution in the state. If you raise $2,000 or more in contributions in a year, you also have to report where this account is held, including the account number, when you set up your campaign's organizational paperwork.

All the money you raise or spend to help your campaign must flow through this account, including any personal funds you use, except for covering your filing fee and statement of qualifications, which can be paid directly with personal money. If you plan to spend less than $2,000 of your own money and don't take in contributions, you don’t need to follow these account rules.

Even if you do take contributions but fall below the $2,000 threshold and aren’t required to register as a committee, you still have to set up a campaign account, although you don’t need to file the same paperwork as larger campaigns.

(a) Upon the filing of the statement of intention pursuant to Section 85200, the individual shall establish one campaign contribution account at an office of a financial institution located in the state.

(b) As required by subdivision (f) of Section 84102, a candidate who raises contributions of two thousand dollars ($2,000) or more in a calendar year shall set forth the name and address of the financial institution where the candidate has established a campaign contribution account and the account number on the committee statement of organization filed pursuant to Sections 84101 and 84103.

(c) All contributions or loans made to the candidate, to a person on behalf of the candidate, or to the candidate’s controlled committee shall be deposited in the account.

(d) Any personal funds which will be utilized to promote the election of the candidate shall be deposited in the account prior to expenditure.

(e) All campaign expenditures shall be made from the account.

(f) Subdivisions (d) and (e) do not apply to a candidate’s payment for a filing fee and statement of qualifications from the candidate’s personal funds.

(g) This section does not apply to a candidate who will not receive contributions and who makes expenditures from personal funds of less than two thousand dollars ($2,000) in a calendar year to support the candidate’s candidacy. For purposes of this section, a candidate’s payment for a filing fee and statement of qualifications shall not be included in calculating the total expenditures made.

(h) An individual who raises contributions from others for that individual’s campaign, but who raises or spends less than two thousand dollars ($2,000) in a calendar year, and does not qualify as a committee under Section 82013, shall establish a campaign contribution account pursuant to subdivision (a), but is not required to file a committee statement of organization pursuant to Section 84101 or other statement of bank account information.

campaign contribution account financial institution candidate contributions ...