A fourth candidate for New Jersey governor — Republican Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli — has received public matching funds for the June primaries, the state Election Law Enforcement Commission announced Thursday.
To date, ELEC has approved $3.6 million in public matching funds for candidates running in the gubernatorial primaries. State law allows candidates who raise a minimum of $430,000 to receive public matching funds: two dollars for every one dollar raised.
Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno, a Republican, and former U.S. Treasury official Jim Johnson and Assemblyman John Wisniewski, both Democrats, had all been approved for matching funds. Ciattarelli joined the list Thursday, qualifying for a $650,996 disbursement.
ELEC also approved $38,450 for Guadagno on Thursday, taking her cumulative total to $1.16 million in public funds.
Johnson, a Democrat, has secured the most matching funds of any candidate so far. A Thursday certification of $106,760 in public funds for his campaign puts his total at $1.16 million, slightly above Guadagno.
Wisniewski qualified for funds on Wednesday. To date, the Democratic assemblyman has received $663,010.
Candidates who receive public funds are not permitted to spend over $6.4 million in a primary campaign and $13.8 million in a general election. Qualified candidates must also participate in two public debates.
