Publication: Brennan Center for Justice
The city council primaries saw remarkable race and gender equity in fundraising, challenging typical trends in campaign finance.
On Tuesday, New York City voters elected the most diverse and representative legislature in the city’s history. The numbers of women and people of color elected increased significantly, better reflecting their numbers in the city’s general population, our analysis of candidate demographics found. A robust small donor public financing option for campaign fundraising, where candidates can join a city program that matches modest donations they earn from residents by $8-to-$1, played an important role in these trends.
Women, who are 52 percent of residents, will increase their representation on the city council from 27 percent now to 61 percent come January.
