Fatimah Waseem
The price tag of publicly funded campaigns is a source of concern, said Wendy Underhill, a program manager for elections policy with the National Conference of State Legislatures, a bipartisan non-governmental organization that works with state legislatures.
“Proponents will suggest that having funds makes it more possible for competitive races to be run. It is tricky to keep up with the costs of campaigning,” said Underhill. “The impact of [matching funds] is sometimes in the eye of the beholder.”
David Keating, president of the Center for Competitive Politics, questioned the use of public funds for campaigning.
“Taxpayers wind up giving funds to a candidate they do not prefer,” said Keating. “Basically, it’s a subsidy for running campaigns.”
