Campaign Contribution Limits

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. To do this, they must first fill out and submit OCRA Form 301 to the Public Ethics Commission. 

What qualifies as a broad-based political committee?

Many political action committees do not qualify as broad-based committees. To qualify as a broad-based political committee the committee must meet all the following conditions:

• Have been in existence for more than six months,
• Receive contributions from 100 or more persons, and
• Make contributions to five or more candidates.

Your committee should establish whether a committee meets all three conditions BEFORE accepting contributions above the limit for individuals, business entities, committees or other organizations.

Loans and Unpaid Bills Can Become Over-the-Limit Contributions

Be careful of a loan or unpaid bill automatically becoming an over-the-limit contribution. Except for loans from commercial lending institutions made on terms available to everyone else, all loans to Oakland candidates are treated as contributions and may not exceed contribution limits.

Candidates often spend more money than they’ve raised while campaigning. If a candidate owes a vendor over $1,500 for more than 90 days, then that extension of credit will be treated as a contribution under the Act. And since the maximum permissible contribution from any individual, business entity, committee or other organization is $650, that extension of credit (read: unpaid bill) of more than $1,500 will automatically constitute a violation of Oakland's contribution limits unless the candidate has established a set payment schedule with the vendor.

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.  

The current voluntary expenditure limits may be found here.