logo

AZ Campaign to Adopt Nonpartisan Elections Suspended after Key Donor Drops Out

image
Author: Greg Parker
Created: 11 March, 2016
Updated: 16 October, 2022
1 min read

Correction note: This article originally said that Open Primaries spent $300,000 in support of the donation disclosure initiative. It was the coalition in support of both initiatives. The article has been corrected.

Salon reported Thursday that a campaign to adopt nonpartisan elections in Arizona suspended its efforts after a major donor dropped out.

Texas billionaire John Arnold had contributed at least $1 million in support of the campaign to adopt a nonpartisan, top-two open primary similar to the systems in California and Washington state through the organization Open Primaries. He later learned that nearly half of his donations were going toward another initiative.

This second ballot measure would require that groups who spend money to influence elections disclose any donations exceeding $10,000. The coalition in support of both initiatives spent $300,000 of his donations in support of this initiative.

Arnold voiced his opposition to this funding and $178,000 of his donation was returned this week. The two former Phoenix mayors who were benefiting from Arnold’s contributions have suspended their campaign in support of the nonpartisan, top-two primary until they can find alternate sources of funds.

Read the full article here.

Photo Credit: Niyazz / shutterstock.com

Latest articles

Chula Vista
POLL: Nearly Two-Thirds of Chula Vista Voters Want to Change the Way They Vote
A recent poll conducted by Competitive Edge research with funding by More Choice San Diego found that 62% of voters in Chula Vista -- if given the opportunity -- would support a measure that would advance five candidates to a general election that uses ranked ballots....
13 May, 2024
-
2 min read
America
Adding Ranked Choice Voting to Presidential Elections Could Happen by 2028
Imagine it’s election night 2024. A few close swing states will decide the presidency – and test the health of our democracy. In that scenario, we can be certain of two facts: Neither Joe Biden nor Donald Trump will win a majority of the vote, and votes for independent and third-party candidates will dwarf the final margin....
13 May, 2024
-
3 min read
two parties
Democrat-Led Lawsuit Kills Independent Redistricting Initiatives in Nevada
The Nevada Supreme Court on Friday upheld the ruling of a lower district court that two identical ballot questions that would create an independent redistricting commission were invalid because sponsors did not add a revenue source to either initiative....
11 May, 2024
-
2 min read