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LAWS OF MARYLAND

Ch. 255

regular national rate regularly charged by such person or
corporation for commercial advertising may be charged.

(c) Violation of this section is a misdemeanor and any
person so convicted is subject to the penalties provided in §
26-20 of this [subtitle] ARTICLE.

31-2.

(a)   In this subtitle the following have the meanings
indicated unless otherwise provided:

(b)   "Candidate" means a candidate for a State or county
office who is regulated by the expenditure limits in § 31-3.

[(d)] (C) "Comptroller" means the State Comptroller of the
treasury.

[(e)] (D) "County" includes Baltimore City.

[(f)] (E) "Fund" means the "Fair Campaign Financing Fund"
provided in § 31-4.

[(g) "Fair campaign financing contribution" means the
moneys created, collected, administered, and invested pursuant to
§§ 465 to 467 of Article 81 of the Code.]

[(h)] (F) "Major party" means a political party whose
candidate, for the same office in the immediate previous election
to that for which public financing is currently sought, received
25 percent or more of the total popular votes received by all
candidates in the general election for that office.

[(i)] (G) "Maximum public contribution" for any candidate
is an amount equal to 75 percent of the candidate's campaign
expenditure limit in the general election, as provided in § 31-3.

[(J)] (H) "Minor party" means a political party whose
candidate for the same office in the immediate previous election
to that for which public financing is currently sought, received
less than 25 percent of the total popular votes received by all
candidates in the general election for that office, or has filed
a valid petition' for the formation of a new political party
pursuant to § 4B-1 of this article.

[(k)] (I) "Public contribution" means a sum disbursed from
the Fair Campaign Financing Fund to a candidate for elective
office according to the provisions of this subtitle.

[(1)] (J) "Seed money" means a sum of lawfully raised
private campaign contributions from individual persons that is
the greater of either $250 or 15 percent of the maximum campaign
expenditure limit provided under § 31-3 for a primary election
for the same office.