Public Funding for Candidates

The City of Oakland Limited Public Financing Program provides public funds to qualifying candidates by reimbursing eligible campaign expenses. The purpose of the program is to encourage competition for elective office and ensure that serious candidates can raise enough money to communicate their views and positions to the public.

How Much Money is Available?

The amount of money available to candidates will depend on how much money is budgeted by City Council and how many candidates are running for City Council Districts 1-7 in the current election. In past years, the amount distributed per candidate has ranged between $8,000 and $25,000. No candidate may receive more than 30% of Oakland's voluntary expenditure ceiling for the office being sought.

After the nominations period has closed in August 2026 and you are certified as a District City Council candidate in the 2026 election, you may be eligible for limited public financing to assist with your campaign.

Participation Requirements

To participate in the program, a candidate must meet the following conditions:

1. Opt-in to the public financing program within 14 days of being certified to appear on the ballot by submitting LPF Form 1.
2. Agree to abide by Oakland's voluntary campaign spending limits ($160,000) by submitting OCRA Form 301.
3. Attend training provided by the Public Ethics Commission.
4. Raise at least $8,000 in campaign contributions from Oakland donors and spend at least $8,000 on qualified campaign expenses. Copies of donor checks or records from fundraising platforms required.
5. Contribute or lend no more than $19,000 from their personal funds to their campaign.
6. Participate in at least one qualifying public debate or forum.

Additional rules and restrictions apply to candidates receiving public financing, as well as the types of expenses that qualify for reimbursement. Learn more by reading our step-by-step Limited Public Financing Act Guide(PDF, 3MB) or see the Limited Public Financing Act of 2024 for the full text of the law.

Distribution of Funds

To ensure that full amount of allocated funds in the general election fund is distributed to all interested candidates, the Public Ethics Commission provides a two-phase approach for the disbursement of Limited Public Financing (LPF) funds to participants.

Phase I - The initial phase begins once eligible candidates opt in to the LPF program and the Public Ethics Commission determines the amount available to each participant.

Phase II - The second "redistribution phase" sets an early deadline for participants to submit the first reimbursement request. As a result, LPF Form 2 and the first LPF Form 3 must be submitted on or before the Phase II deadline of September 18. Failure to timely file LPF Form 2 and initial LPF Form 3 by that deadline will deem the participant ineligible to receive public funds for the election.

Candidates who meet the September 18 deadline may proceed to Phase II. After the Phase II deadline, the Public Ethics Commission recalculates and then reallocates funds according to the number of participants that net the Phase II requirement. The redistribution can potentially increase the allotted amount to each participant based on the number of candidates that proceed to Phase II.

Democracy Dollars Program

On November 8, 2022, Oakland voters approved ballot Measure W, the Oakland Fair Elections Act, creating a newly designed public campaign financing program that disperses $100 in Democracy Dollar vouchers to eligible Oakland residents who can then assign the Dollars to the candidate of their choice.

The Democracy Dollars program is not funded for the 2026 election, but the Public Ethics Commission is preparing for program launch in time for the 2028 election. Public financing for the 2026 election will be available through the Limited Public Financing Program.