Professor Charles Wheelan, founder of the Centrist Project, which is now called Unite America, discusses his project here. The interview is carried by Merion West, an on-line news source which carries news about attempts to strengthen the center in the U.S.
A Los Angeles Times-USC poll recently asked Californians if they prefer a closed primary, a semi-closed primary, or the current top-two system. 50% support the top-two system; 40% support a semi-closed primary; 10% support a closed primary. See this story. The poll was conducted on-line between April 18 and May 18, before much of the publicity about how Democratic candidates for Governor and for U.S. House in certain districts are using insincere campaign messages to influence Republican voters to choose one Republican over another Republican.
Unfortunately the poll did not ask voters about a blanket primary. In a blanket primary, all party candidates appear on a single primary ballot, and all voters use that ballot. But the top vote-getter from each party then goes to the November ballot. Independent candidates do not participate in the primary, but petition directly onto the November ballot. California used that system in 1998 and 2000. The U.S. Supreme Court said it violated freedom of association for political parties to be forced to let outsiders help choose their nominees. But the system could be made constitutional if it were voluntary, and parties that didn’t want to use a blanket primary could instead nominate by convention.
This San Diego Union-Tribune story explains how backers of each of the two leading Democratic candidates for California Governor are propagating insincere messages aimed at Republican voters. Backers of Democrat Gavin Newsom are portraying Republican candidate John Cox as a true conservative in order to help Cox receive more Republican votes. Backers of the other leading Democrat in the race, Antonio Villaraigosa, are sending insincere messages trying to make the other leading Republican, Travis Allen, appear more attractive to Republican voters.
Newsom’s motive is to make it more likely that Cox, instead of Villaraigosa, will place second in the June 5 primary. Newsom thinks Cox would be easier to beat in November than Vallaraigosa would be. Villaraigosa hopes that Allen will draw votes away Cox and so enhance the chances that Viiaraigosa will come in second.
Oregon held primaries on May 15 for the Republican, Democratic, and Independent Parties. In the Independent Party primary, the three strongest candidates for Governor were Knute Buehler (who is the Republican nominee), Kate Brown (the Democratic nominee), and Patrick Starnes, a member of the Independent Party. Starnes’ name was printed on the primary ballot, but candidates who are members of other parties were forced to be write-in candidates in the Independent Party primary.
Most counties still haven’t released their write-in totals, but Clackamas and Marion Counties have done so. Based on the vote in those two counties, it is overwhelmingly likely that Starnes won the primary. Thanks to Dan Meek for this information.
New York state is operating under a court order that says the petitioning period for state and local office, for independent candidates and the nominees of unqualified parties, is the period July 10 through August 21. But, the petitioning period for federal office is June 19-July 31.
These rules are completely irrational. Most states don’t care how early a petition begins to start. Because the Libertarian Party is not a qualified party in New York, it must obey these rules. But if the Libertarian Party were to circulate a petition this year that includes both Governor and U.S. Senator, the period would be July 10 through July 31, only three weeks.
In theory the party could circulate one petition for U.S. Senate, and a separate petition for Governor, but that would be a great deal of work, so the party is staying out of the U.S. Senate race, and its 2018 statewide petition just has Governor and the other statewide state offices (Lieutenant Governor paired with Governor; Attorney General; Comptroller).
Everything in this post relates to any other unqualified party as well, but as far as is known, the Libertarian Party is the only unqualified party that expects to circulate a statewide petition in New York this year.
