Testimony Regarding B22-0192: The Fair Elections Act of 2017

Chairman Allen, other Councilmembers, my name is Kesh Ladduwahetty and I am honored to testify in support of the Fair Elections Act as Chair of DC for Democracy. DC for Democracy is an all-volunteer community organization that has been working since 2004 for the political empowerment of all people who live in DC. We have been an active member of the Fair Elections Coalition since 2015, and I cannot think of any legislative proposal that has elicited more passionate support on the part of our 600-plus members.

Our members are concerned that money is increasingly distorting our democracy. A system that is supposed to work on the basis of “one person, one vote” seems to operate on the basis of “one dollar, one vote.” (1 min)

The resulting cynicism is toxic, and is most prevalent among our lowest-income residents. Despite our enlightened electoral laws that make voting as easy and convenient as possible, political engagement is low because people believe that elections are empty rituals; regardless of who wins, those with wealth often exercise a veto over public policy.

Given the undemocratic tendencies unleashed recently around the world, and the signs that liberal democracies are undergoing a crisis of confidence, it is vital that progressive jurisdictions like DC promote a more genuine democracy that reflects the public’s values and priorities. Enacting Fair Elections would be a very significant step towards that goal by giving low- and moderate-income people a bullhorn to make ourselves heard in an increasingly unequal society.

DC for Democracy members are overwhelmingly the type of people who will benefit from Fair Elections. Our members give small contributions — typically $20 or $25 — to our endorsed candidates. While we combine these small dollar contributions with volunteer activism, our members still feel that their voices are drowned out by those who give $500 or $1,000 checks. With Fair Elections, a DC4D member can give $25 to a candidate knowing that they will be matched 5 to 1, yielding a total of $150 — real money. Our members also know that with a small donor matching system, candidates are more likely to talk with and listen to low- and moderate-income people like our members. Furthermore, the candidates that we tend to endorse would very likely participate in Fair Elections because they are genuinely grassroots candidates who enjoy broad support among people of all income levels. 

We are mindful that solving the distortions of money in politics is not easy. We strongly support the broad array of campaign finance reforms pending in this committee. But Fair Elections is a unique approach to this problem in that it opens the gates to new funding whereby candidates who do not have access to wealthy donors — women, people of color, low-income people — can run for office if they have broad grassroots support. Our democracy will gain immeasurably from the resulting diversity of perspectives.

Some people argue that other priorities such as affordable housing precludes spending public money on electoral campaigns. We support Fair Elections precisely because the current campaign finance system distorts public spending towards the priorities of wealthy donors: sports stadia, luxury housing, and tax breaks for big businesses and the wealthy.

Our members, who are also DC taxpayers, feel that the $5 million annually required by this program, a tiny fraction of a $14 billion budget, is a wise investment that better ensures that our tax dollars serve the public interest.

The American people have grown increasingly disenchanted with our current system of auctioning our elected officials to the highest bidder. From Seattle to New York City, from Arizona to Maine, and in nearby Montgomery and Howard counties, the people have voted for fair elections. The people of DC are eager to join this rising tide of democratic reform. We urge the DC Council to pass Fair Elections this year so that DC can begin to contribute to a national movement to restore confidence in our democratic institutions.