Oakland Temporarily Increases Campaign Contribution Limits
Published on June 18, 2025
On June 17, 2025, the Oakland City Council made changes to the city’s campaign finance rules. The changes temporarily raise how much money people and groups can give to political candidates—but only for candidates who agree to limit how much they spend on their campaigns. To qualify for the higher contribution limits, candidates must first file OCRA Form 301 with the Public Ethics Commission.
Effective June 17, 2025, contribution limits for candidate-controlled committees are as follows:
CANDIDATES WHO DO NOT ACCEPT VOLUNTARY SPENDING LIMITS
| Contribution Source |
Maximum Amount |
| Individual, Business, Committee, or Other Organization |
$650 |
| Qualified Broad-based Political Committee |
$1,300 |
CANDIDATES WHO ACCEPT VOLUNTARY SPENDING LIMITS
| Contribution Source |
Maximum Amount |
| Individual, Business, Committee, or Other Organization |
$900 |
| Qualified Broad-based Political Committee |
$1,800 |
NEW OFFICEHOLDER ACCOUNT YEARLY CONTRIBUTION CAP
The City Council also made a permanent change to how much money elected officials can collect each year for their officeholder accounts, which help cover non-campaign expenses like community events or mailings. While the amount each person can give stays the same, the total amount officials can collect each year has gone up.
| Office |
Annual Contribution Cap |
| School Board Directors |
$25,000 |
| District City Council Members |
$75,000 |
| Citywide Elected Officials |
$100,000 |
Read the Public Ethics Commission's advisory for more information about the changes.