Republican Primaries in 2014 Suggest Closed Primaries Better for Mainstream Republicans than Open Primaries

Kentucky and Kansas both have closed Republican primaries. This year, so far, the two more prominent wins for establishment Republican U.S. Senators have been in Kentucky and Kansas, where incumbents defeated “tea party” Republicans. By contrast, the two states with … Continue reading

Washington Holds Its Fourth Top-Two Primary; No Minor Party or Independents Place First or Second in Races With at least Two Major Party Candidates

On August 5, Washington state held its fourth top-two primary. No candidate for Congress or any partisan state office, who was not a Democrat or Republican, managed to place first or second, in races that had at least two major … Continue reading