Campaign board to appeal restoration of Blakeman's matching funds

ALBANY — Republican Bruce Blakeman’s victory in a lawsuit over campaign funds will have to survive another round in court.

The state Public Campaign Finance Board, controlled by Democrats, has said it will appeal a decision issued Tuesday by a state Supreme Court that would allow Blakeman to participate in the state’s matching funds program in his race for governor.

The next legal stop should be the mid-level Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, though sometimes election-year cases are expedited to New York’s highest court, the Court of Appeals.

It’s a fight that could mean up to $3.5 million for a candidate who is trailing in the money chase.

At issue is whether a filing error should disqualify Blakeman, the Nassau County executive who is running against Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul, from participating in the matching funds program, which is available to gubernatorial candidates for the first time.

Blakeman trails Hochul by nearly $20 million in campaign funds, according to the latest available records, but could obtain up to $3.5 million in matching moneys if he qualifies.

Blakeman applied for the program in December. In April, the four Democrats on the PCFB led a 4-3 vote disqualifying the Republican because he didn’t file a joint application with his running mate, Madison County Sheriff Todd Hood.

Blakeman sued, saying, among other things, that no joint form existed when he registered in December and the board should have notified him about the problem before kicking him out.

On Tuesday, Justice Denise Hartman, a Democrat, ruled the disqualification was arbitrary and capricious and gave Blakeman a one-week window to amend his application.

The matching funds program was enacted in 2023 to help low-donor candidates run against deep-pocketed ones.

To qualify for matching funds, any candidate for governor must raise a total of $500,000 from at least 5,000 state residents who give $1,050 or less. The first $250 of those contributions are matched 6-1 by taxpayer dollars — which could mean millions of dollars to a candidate.

Hochul is not participating in the matching funds program.

By Yancey Roy

yancey.roy@newsday.com@yanceyroy