NYC Council Speaker Julie Menin Appoints Jeffrey Wice to New York City Campaign Finance Board
Renowned elections, redistricting expert to serve five-year term on Board overseeing city agency charged with strengthening local democracy
NEW YORK – The New York City Campaign Finance Board (CFB), the independent, nonpartisan city agency that administers the city’s nationally recognized program to amplify small contributions and curb the influence of big money in local elections, welcomes new Board Member Jeffrey M.
Wice, who was appointed by NYC Council Speaker Julie Menin for a five-year term, effective immediately.
“Elections are fundamental to American democracy and so much is at stake now nationwide. I am honored to serve on the Campaign Finance Board and support the agency in creating more pathways for New Yorkers to participate meaningfully and build trust in our elections,” Wice said. “For years I have collaborated with CFB staff on their voter engagement work – including Ranked Choice Voting, early voting, and strengthening civic participation more broadly – and I look forward to deepening that collaboration in my new capacity as a Board member.”
The nonpartisan Board, consisting of five members who are each appointed to five-year terms, oversees the work of the agency. The Mayor and Speaker of the City Council each appoint two members, respectively, who may not be enrolled in the same political party. The Chairperson of the Board, currently Frederick Schaffer, is chosen by the Mayor after consultation with the Speaker. 
"For decades, Jeffrey Wice’s expertise and knowledge of our state and city has been essential in strengthening our local democracy and enfranchising New Yorkers," said NYC Council Speaker Julie Menin. "During the 2020 Census, we worked together to achieve the highest self response rate among major cities. I'm so proud to appoint him to the Campaign Finance Board and know he will do an excellent job supporting the Board's civic engagement work and ensuring the Board reaches New Yorkers across the five boroughs.” 
Wice joins the Board with several decades of experience working in redistricting, voting rights, and census law. Currently, he is a Distinguished Fellow and Distinguished Adjunct Professor at New York Law School, where he directs the N.Y. Census & Redistricting Institute. In the past, he has taught election law at Hofstra Law School and at the Touro Law Center, and he served as a Fellow at SUNY Buffalo Law School.
Wice has advised local governments across New York State, including New York City, in their nonpartisan legislative redistricting efforts and census education and outreach. He is an expert on the state Voting Rights Act. Wice has also served as counsel to several national redistricting projects. 
"At the Campaign Finance Board, we strive to meet New Yorkers where they are – whether they’ve never voted or they vote in every election, whether they’re disenchanted with politics or they’re ready to run for office – to inspire more people to participate and build a more representative government,” said Frederick Schaffer, Chair of the New York City Campaign Finance Board. “Having Mr. Wice on our Board will be a tremendous boon to the work of amplifying civic education and breaking down barriers to participation.” 
In their oversight of the agency, the Board votes to approve public funds payments to qualifying city campaigns, as well as to deny public funds to campaigns who fail to demonstrate eligibility. Board members also issue advisory opinions on how best to enforce the Campaign Finance Rules and Act and adopt new rules to best honor the Board’s obligations amid the rapidly changing election landscape. Additionally, the Board weighs in on official policy recommendations included in the agency’s annual Voter Analysis Report; media sponsors and priorities for the official city debates program; the agency’s signature Voter Guide, which is delivered to every registered voter’s home; and the strategic vision and outcomes of the NYC Votes initiative. 
Wice’s appointment comes after the CFB published a recommendation in its 2025 Voter Analysis Report to strengthen CFB governance by bringing greater oversight of the agency’s voter engagement work into the Board’s scope. Wice is the first Campaign Finance Board appointee made by City Council Speaker Julie Menin. He will replace outgoing board member Richard J Davis. Davis was appointed to the Board by City Council Speaker Christine Quinn on June 29, 2009, reappointed by City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito on December 1, 2014, and reappointed again by City Council Speaker Corey Johnson on December 1, 2019.

###

The New York City Campaign Finance Board makes it easier for New Yorkers to participate in democracy by administering the city’s public matching funds program, conducting thorough oversight of the program to ensure public funds are being used responsibly, providing the public transparency into how money is raised and spent in local elections, publishing the citywide Voter Guide, and overseeing the official citywide debates. 
NYC Votes, the voter engagement initiative of the NYC Campaign Finance Board, focuses on reaching New York City voters, especially those who are underrepresented in the electoral process, and equipping them with the resources they need to participate in our local democracy. 
The initiative breaks down barriers to participation and inspires New Yorkers to get registered, vote, donate to a candidate (and get their donation matched!), and even run for office.
You can download the full release here.