Limits On Campaign Donations Increase

We’ve had limits on campaign contributions to candidates for state and county offices since only 2010, and they already are on the rise.

That’s because the secretary of state is required to adjust the limits after each general election based on the U.S. Labor Department’s consumer price index.

So, as a result of adjustments made after the general election last November, here are the new caps on contributions:

♦ $2,400 per primary or general election for a donation from an individual to a candidate for non-statewide office. That’s up from $2,300.

♦ $5,200 per primary or general election for a donation from an individual to a candidate for statewide office or to a political committee. That’s up from $5,000.

♦ $5,200 per primary or general election for a donation from a political committee to a candidate or to another political committee. That’s up from $5,000.

The new limits are good through the November 2014 general election, when candidates for governor, attorney general and other statewide offices will be on the ballot.

As a result of the Citizens United ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2010 and a related ruling by a U.S. district judge in New Mexico in 2012, the caps don’t apply to so-called super political action committees.

Super PACs, also known as independent expenditure-only committees, aren’t subject to limits on contributions because they operate independently of candidates.

Like other political committees, super PACs are required to file reports on donations and expenditures with the secretary of state, but they don’t have to identify themselves as independent expenditure-only committees or publicly disclose the races in which they are involved.

The lack of disclosure makes it difficult for folks like me to identify super PACs, but there were two large super PACs active in last year’s legislative elections.

One of those was Reform New Mexico Now, which spent $2.4 million. It is run by Jay McCleskey, political adviser to Republican Gov. Susana Martinez, and received donations from conservatives around the country.

The other large super PAC was Patriot Majority New Mexico, which spent $1.4 million. It is largely funded by organized labor.

Traditional PACs coordinate with candidates by providing campaign contributions or other support.

Pending before the Legislature is a bill to require super PACs to identify themselves as such in filings with the secretary of state.

Most affected by the new limits on campaign contributions will be the lobbyists, business groups, unions, corporations and others who largely finance campaigns and are expected to donate as much as they can.

The National Institute on Money in State Politics released a study this week that examined contributions to candidates this year for the New Mexico Legislature by the industry sector of donors.

The study found the energy and natural resources sector was the top giver by industry, following by lawyers and lobbyists.

As I reported in December, seven oil and gas companies and two utilities were among the top 30 donors to legislative races last year. The biggest donor was a trial lawyers PAC.

UpFront is a daily front-page news and opinion column. Comment directly to Thom Cole at tcole@abqjournal.com or 505-992-6280 in Santa Fe. Go to www.abqjournal.com/letters/new to submit a letter to the editor.