Cite as: 589 U. S. ____ (2019)
1
Per Curiam
SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES
DAVID THOMPSON, ET AL., v. HEATHER HEBDON,
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE ALASKA
PUBLIC OFFICES COMMISSION, ET AL.
ON PETITION FOR WRIT OF CERTIORARI TO THE UNITED
STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT
No. 19–122.
Decided November 25, 2019
PER CURIAM.
Alaska law limits the amount an individual can contribute to a candidate for political office, or to an electionoriented group other than a political party, to $500 per year.
Alaska Stat. §15.13.070(b)(1) (2018). Petitioners Aaron
Downing and Jim Crawford are Alaska residents. In 2015,
they contributed the maximum amounts permitted under
Alaska law to candidates or groups of their choice, but
wanted to contribute more. They sued members of the
Alaska Public Offices Commission, contending that
Alaska’s individual-to-candidate and individual-to-group
contribution limits violate the First Amendment.
The District Court upheld the contribution limits and the
Ninth Circuit agreed. 909 F. 3d 1027 (2018); Thompson v.
Dauphinais, 217 F. Supp. 3d 1023 (Alaska 2016). Applying
Circuit precedent, the Ninth Circuit analyzed whether the
contribution limits furthered a “sufficiently important state
interest” and were “closely drawn” to that end. 909 F. 3d,
at 1034 (quoting Montana Right to Life Assn. v. Eddleman,
343 F. 3d 1085, 1092 (2003); internal quotation marks omitted). The court recognized that our decisions in Citizens
United v. Federal Election Comm’n and McCutcheon v. Federal Election Comm’n narrow “the type of state interest that
justifies a First Amendment intrusion on political contributions” to combating “actual quid pro quo corruption or its
appearance.” 909 F. 3d, at 1034 (citing McCutcheon v. Fed-