California elects an Insurance Commissioner as a statewide partisan race on June 5, 2018. There are four candidates on the ballot, two Democrats, one independent, and one member of the Peace & Freedom Party. Here is an Associated Press story about the race. Although the story is very long, it does not mention Nathalie Hrizi, the Peace & Freedom candidate.
The story focuses on the fact that the winner will be the “first” of his type to hold the job, if elected. One of the Democrats is a Muslim; the other is a gay Hispanic. The independent, Steve Poizner, would be the first independent elected to statewide in California. But if Hrizi were elected, she would be California’s first woman Insurance Commissioner.
The story is an example of the extreme reluctance of the mainstream California media to mention any minor party candidates. Because they are perceived as having no chance to place first or second in June, they are not covered at all. There have been quite a few televised debates for California statewide candidates this season, but no minor party candidate has been invited into any televised debate.
Richard’s last paragraph says it all. It is a vicious circle – not covered because minor, minor because not covered, …. Some folks just might be influenced if press coverage did include some alternative candidates.
NO primaries.
PR and AppV
Only six candidates invited to; “Decision 2018: The Race for Governor,”
Delaine Eastin [Democratic],
John Chiang [Democratic],
Gavin Newsom [Democratic]
Antonio Villaraigosa [Democratic].
Travis Allen [Republican],
John Cox [Republican]
https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/Watch-Live-NBC-Bay-Area-California-Gubernatorial-Debate-Moderated-by-Chuck-Todd-480833841.html
The Silicon Valley Community Foundation and NBC Bay Area will host “Decision 2018: The Race for Governor,” a debate among candidates running for California governor, on May 8. The debate will be moderated by Chuck Todd, NBC News’ Political Director and Moderator of “Meet the Press.”
The debate is scheduled to take place at the California Theatre in downtown San Jose from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. It will be televised live on KNTV NBC Bay Area (Comcast channel 3 and 703 and over-the-air on 11), KSTS Telemundo 48 (Comcast channel 18 and 718 and over-the-air on 48), and broadcast live on KQED radio (FM channel 88.5).
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Yvonne Girard [Republican] for Governor said by telephone on 5/8/2018:
“All Candidates for Governor Shoud Be Invited to Insure an Inclusive Event”
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I can’t believe I’m writing this but . . . . . excellent comment James Ogle! On topic, too the point and reasonable length.
Obviously, the top-two primary system just reinforces this bias. Here’s a thought: maybe the political establishment could tolerate a change to the primary system whereby there would continue to be a unified primary, but that all the winning candidates of each party in that primary would proceed to the general election, which would then be decided by ranked choice voting. The argument could be made that the top two system as currently run can result in two candidates from the same party on the final ballot, and therefore ought to be modified to prevent that outcome.