Limits on Corporate and Union Contributions to Candidates

Limits on Corporate and Union Contributions to Candidates

Updated August 3, 2005

	Corporate to Candidate Contributions
Alabama	$500/candidate/election (a,b)
Alaska	Prohibited
Arizona (d)	Prohibited
Arkansas	$1,000/candidate/election (a)
California	$22,300/ gubernatorial candidate $5,600/ other statewide candidate $3,300/ legislative candidate All amounts are per election.
Colorado	Prohibited (b)
Connecticut	Prohibited (b)
Delaware	$1,200/statewide candidate $600/other candidate Both amounts are per election cycle.
Florida	$500/candidate/election (a)
Georgia	Statewide Candidates: $5,000/primary or general election $3,000/primary or general run-off Legislative Candidates: $2,000/primary or general election $1,000/primary or general run-off All amounts are per election cycle.
Hawaii	$6,000/statewide candidate $4,000/state senate candidate $2,000/state house candidate All amounts are per election cycle.
Idaho	$5,000/statewide candidate $1,000/legislative candidate Both amounts are per election (a).
Illinois	Unlimited
Indiana	$5,000 in the aggregate to statewide candidates $2,000 in the aggregate to state senate candidates $2,000 in the aggregate to state house candidates All amounts are per year.
Iowa	Prohibited (b)
Kansas	$2,000/statewide candidate $1,000/state senate candidate $500/state house candidate All amounts are per election cycle.
Kentucky	Prohibited
Louisiana	$5,000/statewide candidate $2,500/legislative candidate Both amounts are per election (a).
Maine (d)	$500/gubernatorial candidate $250/other candidate Both amounts are per election (a).
Maryland	$4,000/candidate/4-year election cycle
Massachusetts	Prohibited
Michigan	Prohibited (b)
Minnesota	Prohibited
Mississippi	$1,000/candidate/calendar year
Missouri	Adjusted 2004-2005 limits: $1,200/statewide candidate $600/senate candidate $300/house candidate All amounts are per election (a).
Montana	Prohibited (b)
Nebraska	Corporations may only make contributions through a PAC, using funds from a separate, segregated account. Candidates limited to maximum amount in aggregate contributions that can be accepted in an election period from independent committees, corporations, labor unions, associations and political parties: $825,500 - gubernatorial candidates $75,000/other statewide candidate $36,500 - legislative candidate
Nevada	$5,000/candidate/election (a)
New Hampshire (f)	To candidates not agreeing to abide by spending limits: $1,000/election (a) To candidates agreeing to abide by spending limits: $5,000/election (a)
New Jersey	$3,000/gubernatorial candidate $2,600/legislative candidate Both amounts are per election (a).
New Mexico	Unlimited
New York	Gubernatorial candidates: Primary - product of number of enrolled voters in candidate's party in the state x $.005, but not less than $5,400 or more than $16,200 General - $33,900 Legislative candidates: Primary - $5,400/senate candidate $3,400/house candidate General - $8,500/senate candidate $3,400/house candidate All amounts are per calendar year. Maximum political contributions and expenditures by a corporation cannot exceed $5,000 in any one year.
North Carolina	Prohibited (b)
North Dakota	Prohibited (b)
Ohio	Prohibited (b)
Oklahoma	Prohibited (b)
Oregon	Unlimited
Pennsylvania	Prohibited (b)
Rhode Island	Prohibited
South Carolina	$3,500/statewide candidate $1,000/legislative candidate Both amounts are per election (a).
South Dakota	Prohibited
Tennessee	Prohibited
Texas	Prohibited (b)
Utah	Unlimited
Vermont	$400/gubernatorial candidate $300/state senate candidate $200/state house candidate No more than 25% of funds may come from non-residents, out-of-state PACs, and political parties (e). All amounts are per 2-year election cycle.
Virginia	Unlimited
Washington	Prohibited for corporations not doing business in Washington. Limits for Washington corporations: $1,350/statewide candidate $675/legislative candidate Both amounts are per election. (a)
West Virginia	Prohibited (b)
Wisconsin	Prohibited
Wyoming	Prohibited

Primary, general and special elections are considered separate elections; an individual may contribute the state amount in each election.
May only make political contributions through a PAC, using funds from a separate, segregated account. Political use of treasure funds and/or dues prohibited. Limits on PAC contributions apply.
In Arizona, a PAC that has received contributions from 500 or more individuals in amounts of $10 or more in a one-year period may qualify as a "Super PAC." Qualification is valid for two years.
Candidates participating in "Clean Elections" public financing may not accept private contributions after qualifying for public funds.
Vermont's attempt to limit out-of-state contributions was declared unconstitutional on August 7, 2002, by the U.S. 2^nd Circuit Court of Appeals (click here to view the decision).
Corporations are no longer prohibited from making political contributions in New Hampshire despite the language of NH RSA 664:4. That ban was declared unconstitutional by a federal district court in 1999. A June 6, 2000 letter from Deputy Attorney General Steve M. Houran that the limits on individual contributions and candidates now apply to corporations as well. Those limits are reflected in this table.

For More Information:
Jennie Drage Bowser mailto:elections-info@ncsl.org?subject=[Campaign Finance].