On July 7, a wealthy Republican candidate for Governor of Florida filed a lawsuit against the part of Florida public funding that provides extra public funds for candidates who have opponents with a great deal of private funding.  Florida has had public funding for gubernatorial candidates since 1998.  The Florida law says that if a publicly funded candidate has an opponent who spends more than $24,900,000, then the publicly-funded candidate may receive extra public funds.  Specifically, the publicly-funded candidate will receive extra funding that equals that amount the privately-funded candidate spends in excess of $24,900,000.

The case is Scott v Roberts, U.S. District Court, northern district, 4:10-cv-283.  Similar lawsuits are pending in Arizona and Connecticut.  In the Arizona case, the 9th circuit had upheld the extra public funding, but then the U.S. Supreme Court had stayed the order of the 9th circuit and will probably hear the case next term.  In the Connecticut case, the U.S. District Court had invalidated the provision for extra public funding and the state’s appeal is pending in the 2nd circuit.  Here is a story about the Florida lawsuit.