Campaign Contribution Limits

The Oakland Campaign Reform Act (OCRA) establishes contribution limits for candidates to Oakland elective offices. On June 17, the City Council made changes to the Oakland Campaign Reform Act (OCRA). These changes temporarily raise the amount of money people can give to candidates who agree to limit how much they spend on their campaigns. The new contributions limits are effective June 17, 2025.  

Effective June 17, 2025, contribution limits for candidate-controlled committees are as follows:  

CANDIDATES WHO DO NOT ACCEPT VOLUNTARY SPENDING LIMITS

CANDIDATES WHO ACCEPT VOLUNTARY SPENDING LIMITS

Important: The new higher limits only apply to candidates who agree to limit their spending. Submit OCRA Form 301 to the Public Ethics Commission to accept voluntary spending limits.

What Counts as a Broad-Based Political Committee?

Not all political action committees (PACs) are considered broad-based. To be a broad-based political committee, a group must meet all three of these rules:

• The committee must have been active for more than six months.
• It must have received donations from at least 100 people.
• It must have given money to five or more candidates.

Before a committee accepts donations over the regular limit for individuals, businesses, or other groups, it needs to make sure it meets all three of these rules.

Loans and Unpaid Bills Can Become Over the Limit Contributions

Be careful—loans or unpaid bills can count as going over the contribution limit. Unless a loan comes from a regular bank and follows normal rules, it will be treated as a contribution and must follow the contribution limits. Candidates often spend more than they raise. If a candidate owes more than $1,500 to someone for over 90 days, that unpaid bill counts as a contribution. But since the contribution limit is $650, that unpaid bill could be over the contribution limit unless the candidate has set up a clear payment plan with the vendor.

Voluntary Spending Limits 

All candidates have a choice of whether to limit their total campaign spending up to certain pre-set “expenditure limits,” also known as spending limits. Accepting the voluntary spending limits allows candidates to raise individual contributions at a higher limit than those who do not. Candidates must agree to the spending limit in writing before accepting contributions at the higher amounts. Candidates agree to the spending limit by submitting OCRA Form 301 using the Commission’s online form.