AUGUSTA – The state ethics commission voted to triple the maximum amount of seed money gubernatorial candidates seeking Maine Clean Elections Act funding can raise, from $50,000 to $150,000.

Jonathan Wayne, executive director of the commission staff, said increasing the maximum would better meet the needs of candidates.

“The seed money is what (clean-elections candidates) can spend prior to the disbursement of public funds,” he said. “In most cases, clean elections funds aren’t released until just seven weeks before the primary.”

In 2002 and 2006, Gov. John Baldacci ran as a privately financed candidate, raising more than $600,000 through April of 2002 and more than $350,000 through April in 2006. Clean elections candidates were unable to raise more than $50,000 during that same period.

Commissioner Walter McKee, a Democrat from Hallowell, said increasing the maximum makes sense.

“It will give the best qualified and best prepared candidates the opportunity to compete,” he said. “I wonder whether ($150,000) even would be enough.”

The unanimous vote by the Maine Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices to raise the seed money limit is provisional and requires approval from the Legislature.

– Rebekah Metzler

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