Maryland’s Fair Campaign Finance Fund (FCFF) has lived a long and tumultuous life since its creation in the 1970s, and members of the legislature, along with Gov. Larry Hogan (R), are looking to restore the fund to its former glory.

In 2014, Hogan was the first gubernatorial candidate in Maryland history to be elected using public funds through the FCFF. The program provides candidates with state funds if they agree to certain spending limits. Only gubernatorial candidates are eligible to receive public dollars.

The fund was created in the 1970s but its funding mechanism, a state income tax add-on, was stripped in 2010 due to lack of participation by candidates (until 2014, Republican Ellen Sauberbrey was the only prior participant, back in 1994). In 2014 both Hogan and Democrat Heather Mizeur used public finances for their campaigns, but Mizeur didn’t make it past the primary.

Mizeur collected about $780,000 in public funds. Between the Republican primary and the general election, Hogan used about $2.9 million in state money.

But following Hogan’s election, with no way to replenish the money that had been spent, the fund is almost barren.

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