New York Statewide Candidates Required to Debate in Public Financing Program

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New York's public campaign finance program is expanding to include statewide offices like governor and attorney general for the first time in 2026. While the program's rules are largely the same for state legislative and statewide candidates, there is one key difference - statewide candidates receiving public matching funds must participate in at least one debate sanctioned by the state's Public Campaign Finance Board.

Why it matters

The debate requirement is intended to increase transparency and accountability for statewide candidates participating in the public financing system. It will give voters a chance to directly compare the platforms and policy positions of the candidates seeking New York's highest offices.

The details

The Public Campaign Finance Board (PCFB) is responsible for establishing the rules and logistics for the required debates. The PCFB will select one or more nonpartisan debate hosts, solicit feedback from candidates and the public, and then randomly choose the host if there are multiple qualified applicants. Debate dates, times, and formats must be approved by the PCFB, with the requirement that they be held between 5 weeks and 1 week before early voting begins.

• The public campaign finance program was first enacted into law in 2020.
• Candidates for statewide offices like governor will be able to participate in the public financing program for the first time in the 2026 election cycle.

What’s next

In the coming weeks, the PCFB will conduct its process to determine the host(s) of the 2026 primary and general election debates for statewide offices.