Article 2 - Candidacy - California Government Code

Sections (2)

Current Version

Amended by Stats. 2010, Ch. 18, Sec. 7. (AB 1181) Effective January 1, 2011. Superseded on operative date of amendment by Stats. 2018, Ch. 662. Note: This section was added on June 7, 1988, by initiative Prop. 73.

Prior to the solicitation or receipt of any contribution or loan, an individual who intends to be a candidate for an elective state office, as that term is defined by Section 82024, shall file with the Secretary of State an original statement, signed under penalty of perjury, of intention to be a candidate for a specific office.

An individual who intends to be a candidate for any

other elective office shall file the statement of intention with the same filing officer and in the same location as the individual would file an original campaign statement pursuant to subdivisions (b), (c), and (d) of Section 84215.

For purposes of this section, “contribution” and “loan” do not include any payments from the candidate’s personal funds for a candidate filing fee or a candidate statement of qualifications fee.

Future Version

Amended by Stats. 2018, Ch. 662, Sec. 29. (SB 1239) Effective January 1, 2019. Conditionally operative on date prescribed by Stats. 2018, Ch. 662, Sec. 44. Conditionally superseded; see amendment by Stats. 2025, Ch. 278. Note: This section was added on June 7, 1988, by initiative Prop. 73.

Prior to the solicitation or receipt of any contribution or loan, an individual who intends to be a candidate for an elective state office, as that term is defined by Section 82024, shall file online or electronically with the Secretary of State an original statement, signed under penalty of perjury, of intention to be a candidate for a specific office.

An individual who intends to be a candidate for any other elective office shall file the statement of intention with the same filing officer and in the same location as the individual would file an original campaign statement pursuant to subdivisions (b), (c), and (d) of Section 84215.

For purposes of this section, “contribution” and “loan” do not include any payments from the candidate’s personal funds for a

candidate filing fee or a candidate statement of qualifications fee.

Future Version

Amended (as amended by Stats. 2018, Ch. 662, Sec. 29) by Stats. 2025, Ch. 278, Sec. 57. (AB 808) Effective January 1, 2026. Conditionally operative pursuant to Sec. 78 of Stats. 2025, Ch. 278. Note: This section was added on June 7, 1988, by initiative Prop. 73.

(a)Before becoming a candidate for a specific office, an individual shall file a statement of intention to be a candidate, signed under penalty of perjury.

(1)An individual who intends to be a candidate for elective state office shall file the statement of intention online or electronically with the Secretary of State.

(2)An individual who intends to be a candidate for any other elective office shall file the statement of intention with the same filing officer and in the same location as the individual would file an original campaign report pursuant to subdivisions (b), (c), and (d) of Section 84215.

(b)Candidates and officeholders who do not intend to qualify as a committee pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 82013 shall indicate this status on the statement of intention.

(1)Each candidate or officeholder who has indicated their intention to not qualify as a committee pursuant to this subdivision, but thereafter qualifies as a committee by receiving contributions or making expenditures totaling two thousand dollars ($2,000) or more in a calendar year, shall amend their statement of intention with the Secretary of State or their local filing officer within 48 hours of qualifying and register as a committee pursuant to Section 84101.

(2)For the purposes of this subdivision, in calculating whether two thousand

dollars ($2,000) in expenditures have been made, payments for a filing fee or for a statement of qualification shall not be included if the payments are made from the candidate’s personal funds.

(c)For purposes of this section, “contribution” does not include any payments from the candidate’s personal funds for a candidate filing fee or a candidate statement of qualifications fee.

§ 85201

Current Version

Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 50, Sec. 172. (AB 378) Effective January 1, 2022. Conditionally superseded; see amendment by Stats. 2025, Ch. 278. Note: This section was added on June 7, 1988, by initiative Prop. 73.

(a)Upon the filing of the statement of intention pursuant to Section 85200, the individual shall establish one campaign contribution account at an office of a financial institution located in the state.

(b)As required by subdivision (f) of Section 84102, a candidate who raises contributions of two thousand dollars ($2,000) or more in a calendar year shall set forth the name and address of the financial institution where the candidate has established a campaign contribution account and the account number on the committee statement of organization filed pursuant to Sections 84101 and 84103.

(c)All contributions or loans made to the candidate, to a person on behalf of the candidate, or to the

candidate’s controlled committee shall be deposited in the account.

(d)Any personal funds which will be utilized to promote the election of the candidate shall be deposited in the account prior to expenditure.

(e)All campaign expenditures shall be made from the account.

(f)Subdivisions (d) and (e) do not apply to a candidate’s payment for a filing fee and statement of qualifications from the candidate’s personal funds.

(g)This section does not apply to a candidate who will not receive contributions and who makes expenditures from personal funds of less than two thousand dollars ($2,000) in a calendar year to support the candidate’s candidacy. For purposes of this section, a candidate’s payment for a filing fee and statement of qualifications shall

not be included in calculating the total expenditures made.

(h)An individual who raises contributions from others for that individual’s campaign, but who raises or spends less than two thousand dollars ($2,000) in a calendar year, and does not qualify as a committee under Section 82013, shall establish a campaign contribution account pursuant to subdivision (a), but is not required to file a committee statement of organization pursuant to Section 84101 or other statement of bank account information.

Future Version

Amended by Stats. 2025, Ch. 278, Sec. 58. (AB 808) Effective January 1, 2026. Conditionally operative pursuant to Sec. 78 of Stats. 2025, Ch. 278. Note: This section was added on June 7, 1988, by initiative Prop. 73.

(a)Before the solicitation or receipt of any contribution or loan, a candidate who has filed a statement of intention pursuant to Section 85200 shall establish one campaign contribution account at an office of a financial institution located in the state.

registration filed pursuant to Sections 84101 and 84103.

(c)All contributions or loans made to the candidate, to a person on behalf of the candidate, or to the candidate’s controlled committee shall be deposited in the account.

(d)Any personal funds which will be utilized to promote the election of the candidate shall be deposited in the account prior to expenditure.

(e)All campaign expenditures shall be made from the account.

(f)Subdivisions (d) and (e) do not apply to a candidate’s payment for a filing fee and statement of qualifications from the candidate’s personal funds.

(h)An individual who raises contributions from others for that individual’s campaign, but who raises or spends less than two thousand dollars ($2,000) in a calendar year, and does not qualify as a committee under Section 82013, shall establish a campaign contribution account pursuant to subdivision (a), but is not required to file a committee registration pursuant to Section 84101 or other statement of bank account

information.