L.A. Weekly has this very long story about California’s 33rd U.S. House District race. Although the first part of the article is about Marianne Williamson, the second half is about incumbent Congressman Henry Waxman, with quite a bit about Bill Bloomfield as well. Bloomfield ran as an independent against Waxman in 2012 and he may run again. Marianne Williamson is running as an independent. Thanks to Independent Political Report for the link.
Unfortunately, the reporter who wrote the story refers to the November election as the “run-off.” This is incorrect. A “run-off” is only held if no one gets 50% in the election itself. Because no one is ever elected in California’s top-two system in the June primary, the June event is not a true election. It is only a ballot-access barrier, functioning to decide the identify of the only two people permitted to run in the election itself. The top-two law was written that way because a federal law requires all states to hold congressional elections in November, and if a run-off is desired, it must be after the November election. Georgia and Louisiana are the only states with congressional run-offs.
Now that almost 1/6th of representatives are elected in Open Primary states, Congress should change the law so that if the primary is held in September or later, election can be by majority in the primary.
It is nonsensical to refer to the Open Primary as a “ballot access barrier”.
If representatives