2024 Contribution Limits
Here are the official 2024 contribution limits for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Comptroller, Attorney General, Senate, Assembly and State Supreme Court.
Please Note: The New York State Board of Elections answers questions regarding State Offices and their Contribution Limits. Questions about County, Town or other races should be directed to the specific County Board of Elections.
What is a Contributor?
A contributor may be an individual, a corporation, limited liability company (LLC/PLLC), another candidate's political committee, an unincorporated union or trade organization, a PAC or any other entity such as a league or association, etc.
Please note: For all local level candidates and for those state level candidates not participating in the Public Campaign Finance Program, the funds of a candidate and the spouse of the candidate spent on the campaign are not contributions and are not subject to limits. However, they must be reported on disclosure reports.
For candidates participating in the Public Campaign Finance Program, the funds of a candidate (and those jointly held with the candidate’s spouse and/or unemancipated children) are limited to three times the individual contribution limit for the applicable office. This includes contributions and loans. All funds must be reported on disclosure reports.
Sole proprietors' contributions are from the owner and must be listed as such.
Partnership contributions are contributions from the partners individually, but they are not listed individually until the partnership contribution exceeds $2500. Once that threshold is crossed, the filer must also attribute the contribution to the individual partner(s).
With no other information available, checks drawn on a joint account are assumed given by the signatory.
The New York State Election Law places aggregate calendar year limits on the amount of political contributions that can be made by corporations, LLCs, and PLLCs to New York State candidates and committees, as follows:
1. Corporations
- A corporation may contribute up to a total of $5,000 in a calendar year.
- Each affiliated or subsidiary corporation, if a separate legal entity, has its own limit.
- The $5,000 aggregate limit does not apply to funds given to housekeeping, independent expenditure, or ballot proposition committees.
2. LLCs/PLLCs
- An LLC/PLLC may contribute up to a total $5,000 in a calendar year.
- All contributions made to a campaign or political committee by an LLC/PLLC shall be attributed to each member of the LLC/PLLC in proportion to the member's ownership interest in the company. Attribution is required from the first dollar.
- By December 31st of any year in which an LLC/PLLC makes a contribution or expenditure, the LLC/PLLC must file with the New York State Board of Elections a statement of identity of all direct and indirect owners of the membership interests in the company and the proportion of each direct or indirect member's ownership interest.
- The $5,000 aggregate limit does not apply to funds given to housekeeping, independent expenditure, or ballot proposition committees.
Notwithstanding the above, no individual, corporation, or other contributor may give more to a candidate or a candidate's authorized political committee(s) than an amount determined under the law for the office sought by the candidate. This is called the election limit. This amount is the maximum that the candidate may receive from any one contributor during the campaign cycle for the particular election.
For some offices, the law requires a formula be used to determine the limit. In those cases, you should contact the applicable board of elections to find out the limits.
Each Primary, General or Special election campaign has its own limit. Therefore, contributors may give up to the limit for each election in which the candidate participates. Candidates and committee treasurers must ensure that the election limits are not exceeded and that those funds are spent only for the election to which they pertain unless they were surplus funds left over from a prior election.
The election limit for family members is an aggregate limit from all the candidate's family (defined as a child, parent, grandparent, brother and sister and the spouses of those persons).
Giving and Receiving Limits
New York State Election Law establishes certain limits on contributions that can be given and received by candidates and political committees, as well as limits on contributions that can be given by individuals and other entities. Contribution limits were established to, among other things, curtail the amount of influence, through money, that a contributor can have on elections and the election process.
Candidate Contribution Receipt Limits
The charts in this section set forth the maximum election limits, calculated using the total number of enrolled or registered voters, excluding voters in inactive status, that may be received by a candidate for a particular office. (EL 14-114: NYCRR 6214.0.) Column A represents the amount that can be received from any non-family contributor and Column B represents the amount that can be received in the aggregate from the family (defined as the candidate’s child, parent, grandparent, brother, sister and the spouses of any such persons). These limits are subject to change and should be verified with NYSBOE and/or applicable board.
Please Note: Non-family contribution limits for ALL statewide and state legislative (State Senate and State Assembly) candidates changed effective November 9, 2022.
This table lists Campaign Finance Contribution Non-Family and Family Limit Formulas based on Statewide Offices and Election:
| Office | Election | Column A: Non-Family Limit | Column B: Family Limit |
| Statewide (Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Comptroller) | Primary | $9,000 | Total number of enrolled voters in the candidate's party in the state, excluding voters in inactive status, multiplied by $0.025. |
| General | $9,000* | Total number of registered voters in the state, excluding voters in inactive status, multiplied by $0.025 | |
| New York State Senate | Primary | $5,000 | Total number of enrolled voters in the candidate's party in the district, excluding voters in inactive status, multiplied by $0.25, but at least $20,000, and no more than $100,000. |
| General | $5,000 | Total number of registered voters in the candidate's district, excluding voters in inactive status, multiplied by $0.25, but at least $20,000, and no more than $100,000. | |
| New York State Assembly | Primary | $3,000 | Total number of enrolled voters in the candidate's party in the district, excluding voters in inactive status, multiplied by $0.25, but at least $12,500, and no more than $100,000. |
| General | $3,000 | Total number of registered voters in the candidate's district, excluding voters in inactive status, multiplied by $0.25, but at least $12,500, and no more than $100,000. |
*Candidates running jointly for the offices of governor and lieutenant governor in a general or special election shall be deemed to be one candidate for limit purposes. NYS Election Law §14-114 (7)
Please Note: Candidates interested in participating in the New York State Public Campaign Finance Program should Reference the Public Campaign Finance Board website for further information. Additionally, candidates opting into the New York City Public Financing program should check with that New York City Campaign Finance Board for further limitations.
This table lists Campaign Finance Contribution Non-Family and Family Limit Formulas based on Other Public Offices and Election:
| Office | Election | Column A: Non-Family Limit | Column B: Family Limit |
| All Other Public Offices*** and Supreme Court Justice | Primary | Total number of enrolled voters in the candidate's party in the district, excluding voters in inactive status, multiplied by $0.05, but at least $1,000, and no more than $50,000. | Total number of enrolled voters in the candidate's party in the district, excluding voters in inactive status, multiplied by $0.25, but at least $1,250, and no more than $100,000. |
| General | Total number of registered voters in the candidate's district, excluding voters in inactive status, multiplied by $0.05, but at least $1,000, and no more than $50,000. | Total number of registered voters in the candidate's district, excluding voters in inactive status, multiplied by $0.25, but at least $1,250, and no more than $100,000. |
***Contact local board(s) of elections for contribution limits (based on number of enrolled/registered voters) for local candidates. The general election limit applies to special elections as well.
Please remember that these limits are for the entire election cycle. Generally, the Election Cycle is either two or four years. Where the limit exceeds $5,000, a corporation/LLC/PLLC is still restricted to its limit of $5,000 in a calendar year. But, it may give during each year of the election up to the lesser of its or the candidate's limit.
The person making a contribution, as well as the person receiving it, are responsible to ensure that the limits are not exceeded.
- The contribution limit for family members is an aggregate limit from all the candidate's family members (defined as a child, parent, grandparent, brother and sister and the spouses of those persons.)
- Ballot Issues - There are no limits on contributions for ballot issues.
- Party or Constituted Committees - these committees may receive no more than $138,600 from any individual contributor in a calendar year and up to $5,000 from a corporation/LLC/PLLC.
- Housekeeping - there are no limits on contributions to a Party or Constituted committee for Housekeeping expenses.
Unless otherwise designated in writing, a contribution is deemed attributable to the very next election in which the candidate participates. Contributions allocated to prior campaigns (to pay outstanding debts) must remain within the limits applicable to that election.