The Buffalo News has this op-ed by Chris McNickle, author of several books about New York government, politics and history. He says New York should retain fusion (the ability of two or more parties to jointly nominate the same candidate). Thanks to Steve Kamp for the link.
Parties in New York do not jointly nominate, they severally nominate.
If New York adopted Top 2, parties could collaboratively endorse candidates.
NOOOOOO primaries.
INDIVIDUALS ARE NOMINATED/ELECTED.
EQUAL NOM PETITS / FILING FEES.
PR and AppV and TOTSOP — ESP IN NEW YORK.
Fusion serves a useful purpose. As the article noted, Governor Pataki was elected on the basis of his Conservative Party support.
Mayors LaGuardia, Lindsay, Giuliani, and Bloomberg all won as Republican-Liberal candidates against the Democrat machine. And the Working Families Party has used its power to cross-endorse (or not) to help insurgent (leftist) Democrats beat the Democrat Establishment. They don’t like that, and they now have total control of the state government.
This is just another attempt by Democrats to rig elections in their favor. One of so very many.