On January 13, former Louisiana Governor Edwin Edwards was released from federal prison. See this story. Edwards is the person who invented the “top-two” election system. He not only persuaded the Louisiana legislature to pass the idea in 1975; he also carried on a high-powered campaign to persuade the U.S. Justice Department, Voting Rights Section, to approve the idea. The Department had previously rejected the idea when Mississippi had passed it.
Edwards believed the top-two system would make it easier for conservative Democrats to continue to win elections in Louisiana. Louisiana has been using that system for state and local elections for the past 35 years. Louisiana used it for congressional elections between 1978 and 2006, and during those years, no incumbent member of either House of Congress was ever defeated for re-election (except in 1992 when, because of redistricting, incumbents had to run against each other). Washington state started using the top-two system in 2008, and no incumbent member of Congress from that state has been defeated for re-election either, since top-two has been in effect.
1980 in Louisiana, when Buddy Roemer defeated Buddy Leach.
An incumbent governor was defeated under the open primary system in 1983, 1987, and 1991.
In 1983 and 1991 Edwards defeated an incumbent governor. In 1987, Edwards was beaten.
And the incumbent governor in 2007 would have been beaten had she chosen to run for re-election.
Top 2 was enacted in NE in circa 1934 ???
A mere 77 years ago ???
What is politics in NE – a sovereign State of the Union ???
A bit different than than the party hack stuff in the other 49 States ???
Yes, in Lousisana, the “Top Two” election procedures eventually backfired on Edwards and the Democrats. Today, the Republicans use it to their advantage. In California, obviously “Top Two” will benefit the Democrats most of the time at least for statewide offices.
I wonder if anyone has the time to do a statistical document to speculate how the U.S. Senate might be composed of today by party, based on primary elections of the last 2 or 3 elections cycles, assuming that all states had the “Top Two” law in place?
Something tells me such document would show the U.S. Senate dominated by the GOP, but the House might be either way. In fact, it might be the Senate would be dominated by the Republicans for decades to come.
“Top-two” inexorably leads to a one party state. Whatever it is identified as is irrelavant. It will be the same people in power controlling both candidates of a single party with a single primary.
With free elections you have multiple parties and independents, all running in the general election. Some may nominate candidates by primary voting of some kind that is limited to the candidates of the single party. Some may choose in conventions. Some may choose in smoke filled rooms. And, of course, independents generally select themselves.
But, when you are limited to a single primary, you have created a single party. There will be competing individuals and factions within the single party, just as in the single party systems in Soviet controlled Europe. But it will become and operate as a single party. A one party state will then become a single state controled party. These are inevitable institutional results that devolve from the system itself.
There is little in the American political system that is more corrupt or more evil than the support of a “top-two” state controlled, single party system.
Corruption in the system leads to corruption among office holders and corruption of the government at all levels. Louisiana has been a model for corrupt state government for a long time. “Top-two” is total corruption of the system, if applied nationwide, it leads to absolute power and absolute corruption.
@4 correct.
LA, WA, CA — ONLY a mere 46 more States to go
NE – nonpartisan top 2 since circa 1934.
How corrupt is the NE regime ???
Any swamp heat effect on the LA alleged corruption ???
How about the snow effect on the IL certain corruption ???
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