Local NPR for the Cape, Coast & Islands 90.1 91.1 94.3
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Portland city council candidates decry outside spending in local races

At-large city council candidate Ben Grant speaks to the media in front of Portland city hall on Oct. 17, 2024. Grant called for changes to the city's clean election rules after the National Association of Realtors made plans to spend tens of thousands of dollars supporting two of his opponents, both of whom say they were not aware of the expenditures before they made the news.
Ari Snider
/
Maine Public
At-large city council candidate Ben Grant speaks to the media in front of Portland city hall on Oct. 17, 2024. Grant called for changes to the city's clean election rules after the National Association of Realtors made plans to spend tens of thousands of dollars supporting two of his opponents, both of whom say they were not aware of the expenditures before they made the news.

A Portland city council candidate is calling for reforms to local clean election rules after the National Association of Realtors spent more than $40,000 to boost two of his opponents. The group also spent about $13,000 to support two council candidates in the city's 2nd district.

Clean election candidates receive public funding based on the number of small dollar donations they receive from registered voters in their district.

Outside spending is not illegal, but at-large council candidate Ben Grant said it creates an uneven playing field.

"My point is not that anything improper has been done. It's just violates the spirit of the law," Grant said.

To make the system more transparent, Grant said outside groups should have to report expenditures immediately, and that additional public funding should be made available to clean election candidates who don't benefit from outside support.

Jake Viola and Brandon Mazer, the two at-large council candidates supported by the realtors group, both said they had no advance notice of the expenditures.

If elected, Viola said he'd propose a ban on this type of outside spending. Mazer said that while he's disappointed by outside influence, the Supreme Court decision in the landmark election financing case Citizens United would likely preclude a local ban on such expenditures.

Maine Public's Your Vote coverage is made possible through the support of AARP Maine, MEMIC, and the Law Offices of Joe Bornstein.