SurveyUSA Poll for California U.S. Senate Race

Posted on by May 24, 2016
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On May 23, SurveyUSA released a new poll for the California U.S. Senate race. Only five of the 34 candidates were listed: Kamala Harris 31%, Loretta Sanchez 22%, Duf Sundheim 9%, Tom Del Beccaro 9%, Ron Unz 7%, other or undecided 22%.

These results, very similar to poll results in April, suggest that the November 8 ballot will list only two Democrats, with no write-in space. This article in the Washington Times suggests that such an outcome will be bad for both the Republican Party and the Democratic Party. Especially significant are the quotes from Dan Schnur, a well-known Californian who has been active at high levels in state government. He has previously been a supporter of the top-two system, but now seems not to be.

Duf Sundheim, Leading California Republican Politician, Predicts Legislature Will Put a Repeal of Top-Two on the 2018 Ballot

Posted on by May 23, 2016
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On May 23, Duf Sundheim, speaking at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco, predicted that the California legislature will put a repeal of the top-two system on the California ballot in 2018. The top-two system is embedded in the state Constitution, so the legislature cannot repeal it, but can only put a repeal on the ballot for the voters to decide.

Sundheim is a past California Republican Party state chair, and a candidate for U.S. Senate this year. He says he still supports the top-two system. In response to the point that it bars minor party and independent candidates from the November ballot, he said they weren’t winning even when they were on the November ballot. Actually several dozen minor party and independent candidates get elected to state office in every general election, around the U.S. Also his point ignores the fact that voters want a free choice of candidates in the election itself, even if many of those choices are not likely to win.

California Bill to Let All Cities and Counties Use Instant Runoff Voting for their own Elections Passes Senate

Posted on by May 23, 2016
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On May 23, the California Senate passed SB 1288 by 23-12. All Democrats who voted, voted “yes.” All Republicans who voted, voted “no” except that one Republican voted for the bill. The bill lets all cities and counties use Instant Runoff Voting for their own officers. Under current law, only charter cities and charter counties have that freedom. Most cities in California are not charter cities.