4. a. Except in the case of a candidate, as provided in subsection g. of this section, no person, candidate committee or joint candidates committee, political committee, continuing political committee or legislative leadership committee, otherwise eligible to make contributions, shall make any contribution or contributions to a candidate, his campaign treasurer or deputy campaign treasurer, candidate committee, a political party committee, or to any other person or committee, in aid of the candidacy of or in behalf of a candidate for nomination for election for the office of Governor in a primary election or candidates for election to the offices of Governor and Lieutenant Governor in any general election in the aggregate in excess of $4,900, or in the case of a joint candidates committee when that is the only committee established by the candidates, in excess of $4,900 per candidate in the joint candidates committee, or in the case of a candidate committee and a joint candidates committee when both are established by a candidate, $4,900 from that candidate. No candidate for nomination for election for the office of Governor in a primary election or candidates for election to the offices of Governor and Lieutenant Governor in any general election and no campaign treasurer or deputy campaign treasurer of such candidate or candidates shall knowingly accept from any person, candidate, candidate committee, joint candidates committee, political committee, continuing political committee or legislative leadership committee any contribution or contributions in aid of the candidacy of or in behalf of such candidate or candidates in the aggregate in excess of $4,900, or in the case of a joint candidates committee when that is the only committee established by the candidates, in excess of $4,900 per candidate in the joint candidates committee, or in the case of a candidate committee and a joint candidates committee when both are established by a candidate, $4,900 from that candidate, in any primary or general election. No provision of this act shall be construed to prohibit a contribution or contributions in the aggregate in aid of the candidacy of or in behalf of any candidate for nomination for election to the office of Governor in a primary election not in excess of $4,900, or in the case of a contribution or contributions by a joint candidates committee when that is the only committee established by the candidates, in excess of $4,900 per candidate in the joint candidates committee, or in the case of a candidate committee and a joint candidates committee when both are established by a candidate, $4,900 from that candidate, and another contribution or contributions in the aggregate in the aid of the candidacy of or in behalf of any candidates for election to the offices of Governor and Lieutenant Governor in a general election not in excess of $4,900, or in the case of a contribution or contributions by a joint candidates committee when that is the only committee established by the candidates, in excess of $4,900 per candidate in the joint candidates committee, or in the case of a candidate committee and a joint candidates committee when both are established by a candidate, $4,900 from that candidate. For the purpose of determining the amount of a contribution to be attributed as given by each candidate in a joint candidates committee, the amount of the contribution by such a committee shall be divided equally among all the candidates in the committee.

b. (Deleted by amendment, P.L.1980, c.74.)

c. The spouse of any contributor may make a contribution or contributions in the aggregate in aid of the candidacy of or in behalf of a candidate for nomination for election for the office of Governor or candidates for election to the offices of Governor and Lieutenant Governor of up to $4,900.

d. No State committee of any political party shall knowingly accept from any person, candidate committee, joint candidates committee, political committee, continuing political committee or legislative leadership committee, any contribution or contributions in the aggregate in aid of the candidacy of or in behalf of candidates for election to the offices of Governor and Lieutenant Governor in a general election in excess of $4,900, or in the case of a contribution or contributions by a joint candidates committee when that is the only committee established by the candidates, in excess of $4,900 per candidate in the joint candidates committee, or in the case of a candidate committee and a joint candidates committee when both are established by a candidate, $4,900 from that candidate. A State committee may allocate a contribution of up to $4,900, and up to $4,900 of a contribution in excess of $4,900 in aid of the candidacy of or in behalf of such candidates, except that in the case of a contribution from a joint candidates committee when that is the only committee established by the candidates, the amounts which may be so allocated shall be $4,900 per candidate in the joint candidates committee, and in the case of a candidate committee and a joint candidates committee when both are established by a candidate, the amount which may be so allocated shall be $4,900 from that candidate. For the purpose of determining the amount of a contribution to be attributed as given by each candidate in a joint candidates committee, the amount of the contribution by such a committee shall be divided equally among all the candidates in the committee. A State committee shall create an account in a national or State bank in behalf of any candidates the committee intends to or does assist for election to the offices of Governor and Lieutenant Governor in a general election, shall deposit in such account and report to the Election Law Enforcement Commission the name of the contributor of all moneys accepted or allocated in aid of the candidacy of or in behalf of such candidates, and may make a contribution or contributions from such account in any amount in aid of the candidacy of or in behalf of such candidates. No State committee may make any contribution or contributions in aid of the candidacy of or in behalf of such candidates of moneys not deposited in a bank account pursuant to this subsection, and no State committee may make a contribution or contributions in aid of the candidacy of or in behalf of such candidates of moneys or other thing of value pledged or received in a calendar year in which no gubernatorial election was held.

e. The county committee of a political party in a county and the municipal committees of that political party in the same county may make an expenditure or expenditures in the aggregate of $10,000.00 in aid of the candidacy of or in behalf of any candidates for election to the offices of Governor and Lieutenant Governor in a general election. No county committee or municipal committee may transfer or contribute any funds to any such candidate or to such candidates’ campaign treasurer or deputy campaign treasurer, or to any political committee supporting such candidates. Candidates or their campaign treasurer or deputy campaign treasurer shall determine the exact amount that individual county committees or municipal committees may contribute in aid of the candidacy of or in behalf of such candidates, and shall file a report of such determination with the Election Law Enforcement Commission no later than the seventh day prior to the general election being funded.

f. Communications on any subject by a corporation to its stockholders and their families, or by a labor organization to its members and their families, and nonpartisan registration and get-out-the-vote campaigns by a corporation aimed at its stockholders and their families, or by a labor organization aimed at its members and their families, shall not be construed to be in aid of the candidacy of or in behalf of a candidate for election to the office of Governor in any primary election or in behalf of candidates for the offices of Governor and Lieutenant Governor in a general election.

g. No candidate receiving public funds may make expenditures from his own funds, including any contributions from his own funds, in aid of his candidacy for nomination for election to the office of Governor in excess of $25,000.00 for the primary election and in aid of the candidacy of candidates for election to the offices of Governor and Lieutenant Governor in excess of $25,000.00 each for the general election.

As used in this subsection “own funds” means funds to which the candidate is legally and beneficially entitled, but shall not include funds as to which he is a trustee, or funds given or otherwise transferred to the candidate by any person other than the spouse of the candidate for use in aid of his candidacy.

L.1974, c.26, s.4; amended 1980, c.74, s.5; 1989, c.4, s.5; 1993, c.65, s.14; 2009, c.66, s.18; 2023, c.30, s.22.