§ 2805a - Campaign expenditure limitations; amounts - Vermont Statutes

§ 2805a. Campaign expenditure limitations; amounts

(a) The following campaign expenditure limitations shall apply to all candidates, for all primary, general, and local elections, whether or not a candidate accepts Vermont campaign finance grants under subchapter 6 of this chapter, is financing his or her campaign from private contributions, or from the candidate's own resources or that of his or her immediate family.

(1) A candidate for governor shall limit campaign expenditures to no more than $300,000.00 in any two-year general election cycle.

(2) A candidate for lieutenant governor shall limit campaign expenditures to no more than $100,000.00 in any two-year general election cycle.

(3) A candidate for secretary of state, state treasurer, auditor of accounts or attorney general shall limit campaign expenditures to no more than $45,000.00 in any two-year general election cycle.

(4) A candidate for state senator or county office shall limit campaign expenditures to no more than $4,000.00 plus, in the case of state senator, an additional $2,500.00 for each additional seat in the senate district, in any two-year general election cycle.

(5) A candidate for state representative in a single-member district shall limit campaign expenditures to no more than $2,000.00, and in a two-member district to no more than $3,000.00, in any two-year general election cycle.

(b) Recognizing the jurisdiction of the Congress of the United States to enact expenditure limitations and campaign finance reforms for candidates for federal office, the general assembly of the state of Vermont expects candidates for the United States House of Representatives and Senate to observe the contribution and expenditure limitations that apply to candidates for the office of governor.

(c) If a candidate for the office of governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, state treasurer, auditor of accounts or attorney general is an incumbent of the office being sought, the candidate shall be permitted to expend only 85 percent of the amount allowed for that office under this section. If a candidate for the general assembly is an incumbent of the office being sought, the candidate shall be permitted to expend only 90 percent of the amount allowed for that office under this section.

(d) For purposes of this section, the term "candidate" includes the candidate's political committee.

(e) The expenditure limitations contained in this section shall be adjusted for inflation by increasing them based on the Consumer Price Index. Increases shall be rounded up to the nearest $100.00. Increases shall be effective for the first campaign cycle beginning after the general election held on November 2, 2004. The adjustments shall be calculated retroactively to January 1, 2001. On or before July 1, 2005, the secretary of state shall calculate and publish the amount of each limitation that will apply to the election cycle in which July 1, 2005 falls. On July 1 of each subsequent odd-numbered year the secretary shall publish the amount of each limitation for the election cycle in which that publication falls. (Added 1997, No. 64, § 7, eff. Nov. 4, 1998; amended 2005, No. 62, § 7.)