Who is considered a candidate under the Campaign Finance Act?

While qualifying for election or qualifying for nomination for election designates one a candidate, merely receiving contributions or making expenditures designed to bring about one’s election or nomination for election, or authorizing a campaign committee to do so, confers candidate status even if the individual involved never formally qualifies as a candidate.
Likewise, filing a Declaration of Intention to Accept Campaign Contributions (Form DOI) also confers candidate status, and persons who have filed such a declaration are required to file Campaign Contribution Disclosure Reports.