The DC Fair Elections Program
What is the DC Fair Elections Program?
The DC Fair Elections Program is a public campaign financing system that matches small-dollar donations from DC residents at a 5-to-1 ratio. A $20 donation from a DC resident becomes $100 for the candidate.
The program is designed to help candidates run competitive campaigns without relying on large donations from wealthy individuals, corporations, or outside interests.
Who can participate?
Participation is voluntary. To join the program, candidates must agree to:
- Accept only small contributions — lower per-donor limits than apply to non-participating candidates
- Reject all corporate, business-entity, and traditional PAC contributions
- Limit their own contributions and those of their immediate family members
- Participate in candidate debates
Only donations from DC residents are matched.
Why does this matter?
Whether a candidate participates in the Fair Elections Program is a useful signal about their funding model and who they are accountable to. Candidates who opt out can raise unlimited money from large donors, corporations, and out-of-District sources.
How to check
You can search which candidates are participating at: fairelections.ocf.dc.gov