logo

Rep. John Delaney Pushes for Nonpartisan Primaries Nationwide

image
Created: 17 July, 2015
Updated: 16 October, 2022
2 min read

During a national conference call on Wednesday, Jacqueline Salit, president of IndependentVoting.org, interviewed U.S. Rep. John Delaney (D-Md.), on the reintroduction of the 'Open Our Democracy Act' (HR 2655). During the interview, Delaney explained that even though the bill has received a good response from members of Congress, "we need more grassroots efforts."

The Open Our Democracy Act does three main things:

  1. It establishes nonpartisan, top-two primaries (similar to the primaries used in California and Washington state) for all congressional and senatorial races nationwide;
  2. It makes Election Day a national holiday; and
  3. It opens a path for nationwide redistricting reform.

When prompted to explain why he re-introduced the bill, Delaney said, "The central problem with Congress is that we don't work together for the common good."

He argues that the way districts are created promotes gridlock in Congress. The lack of competitive districts means members of Congress are only incentivized to represent half of the country. HR 2655, he expounds, will make districts more competitive, and therefore, more representative of the American populace.

In response to Salit's prompt that 45 percent of the American public identifies as independent, Delaney said:

"It is a rejection of the political parties, in part, what they stand for...a lot of politicians rant and rave and accuse the other party of being entirely wrong on everything they believe in. It is an insult to the country if half the population was always 100 percent wrong. Politicians always make the mistake of underestimating the American people. 300 million smart Americans are not going to let some 500 members of Congress stand in their way forever."

When speaking specifically on the issue of "open primaries" (how the bill refers to nonpartisan, top-two primaries) and why some Republicans and Democrats are against them, Delaney explained that contemporary politicians are too vested in the current system.

"[M]any of them are a product of the political system...they are career politicians," Delaney said.

"They are part and parcel of the system we are trying to change. It is hard for them to reject the system that has helped them create their careers.”

Delaney believes the grassroots effort is key to changing the status quo, and is a critical component to passing the Open Our Democracy Act.

"The real leadership here in Congress that controls each of the parties is not going to break on this issue unless they see that there is political expedience to it," he remarked. "So, we have to really get voters, because while they can block them out of the primaries, they cannot block them out of the general election."

More Choice for San Diego

Listen to the full conference call here

Image: U.S. Rep. John Delaney (D-Md.)

Latest articles

A wide shot of an Alaska city.
In a True Nail-Biter, Alaska Voters Reject Repeal of Top 4 Primary and Ranked Choice Voting
Two weeks after Election Day, Alaska voters finally know the fate of their election system. The choice before them was keep the nonpartisan Top 4 primary system with ranked choice voting in the general election or go back to partisan control over elections....
21 November, 2024
-
5 min read
Coin with Trump's face on it.
How Will the New Government Affect Independent Voters' Finances?
My rates! What happened to my rates? Partisan and independent voters ranked the economy the most important issue in the 2024 election....
20 November, 2024
-
9 min read
An elephant and donkey facing each other on a red bar.
Understanding The ‘Other Side’ Is More Important Than Ever
For some of us, just reading the title of this piece may be irritating — even maddening. If you’re scared about Trump’s election, being asked to understand the “other side” can seem a distant concern compared to your fears of what might happen during his presidency....
20 November, 2024
-
4 min read