According to this article in the Tucson Daily Star, proponents of a top-two initiative in Arizona are giving up, because Texas billionaires John and Laura Arnold do not agree with the strategy for passing the measure, and the Arnolds were the main source of money to pay to get the proposal on the November 2016 ballot.
The Arizona proponents felt that they were far more likely to pass top-two if the campaign for top-two was paired with another initiative, requiring organizations that spend money in campaigns to provide greater disclosure. But, according to the story, the Arnolds aren’t interested in the disclosure initiative and will not fund it.
Here is a second story, which has some additional information.
John Arnold spent $2.75 million on a top-two primary initiative for Oregon in 2014, which was defeated at the ballot by 68-32, even though Arnold and other backers (including Michael Bloomberg, who contributed $1.92 million) outspent opponents by a huge margin.
Proponents of Top Two simply need a better advocate. I am available to explain how Top Two creates a more level plating field, guaratees gender balance should 2/3rds of the voters want and vote that way (single-winner districts can’t do that), nurtures unity and makes one vote important as tie-breaker for two of the three names garnering 33.33% under Top Two.
Top Two works fine. In 2014 Unity Caolition member candidate Ron Gold (Republican) for Attorney General won the primary with 12.5% after working on unity across party lines. Three of the 33 candidates working in unity won seats in the California Assembly.
We had almost 10% success rate in our first year and we’re working hard everday to increase that success with the United Coalition in 2016.
James, if top-two works fine, why is it that California had its worst general election turnout (for a gubernatorial year) in history in 2014, the first gubernatorial election in which top-two was in place in California?
And if it works fine, how come the other top-two state, Washington, has such terrible gridlock in its legislature? In both 2013 and 2015, the legislature couldn’t psas a budget in the regular session, nor the 1st special session, nor the 2nd special session. It took a 3rd special session each year. And the state is being fined $100,000 per day by the State Supreme Court until it fixes equal funding for education, starting in August 2015. Yet the legislature can’t agree on how to fix it, so the fine will continue all the remainder of this year, and into 2017.
Richard,
If Top-2 works so poorly, why is it that Washington had its best turnout since the 18-YO vote was implemented?
California has had incompetent secretaries of state, and really poor management of its voter rolls. Do you really think that the people in Los Angeles register at the same rates as they do in Marin?
The fine in Washington is going to pay for education, so it is largely symbolic.
Washington’s primary turnout went down in 2008, the first year top-two was in effect. The Secretary of State at the time had predicted it would go up, and he was taken aback.
Later Washington state turnout did go up, because the state started mailing a ballot to every registered voter.