San Francisco mayoral candidates
file for public financing

San Francisco mayoral candidates Tony Hall (right) and Chicken John Rinaldi (left)
filed for public financing today at the Department of Ethics.
Both candidates report raising in excess of $25,000 in qualifiable campaign contributions.
Photo(s) by Luke Thomas

By Luke Thomas

August 28, 2007, 8:00 p.m

Only two of fourteen San Francisco mayoral candidates filed for public campaign financing before today's deadline.

Former San Francisco Supervisor Tony Hall and showman Chicken John Rinaldi beat the 5:00 p.m. deadline, filing the required documents at the Department of Ethics that pre-qualifies their campaigns for public financing.

Hall and Rinaldi report raising more than the $25,000 needed from a minimum of 250 eligible voters to qualify for $50,000 in initial public funding. The first $100 of each donation is counted towards reaching the $25,000 mark.

"We're turning in over $26,000, but there's more at home that we just didn't have time to turn in today," Rinaldi told Fog City.

Hall, who collected over $27,000 in campaign contributions, said his ability to raise the required funds demonstrates growing support for a change in the mayor's office.

"There's a very big groundswell of support out there and we're just taking money from San Franciscans that want change," Hall said.

"I think it's a clear signal that this isn't just a campaign of nobodies," Hall added.

The Department of Ethics has up to 30 days to qualify the candidates for the first tier of public financing. Once qualified, candidates will begin to receive matching funds of $4 for every $1 raised up to $100,000, and matching funds for contributions over $400,000.

A candidate may receive a maximum of $850,000 in matching city funds if they can raise $525,000 in private donations.

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