First Candidate to Enter 2020 Race is Fighting for Nonpartisan Primaries

image
Published: 01 Aug, 2017
1 min read

The 2020 presidential election has its first announced candidate, and he supports nonpartisan primary reform in all states: US Rep. John Delaney (D-Md.).

Delaney officially announced he is running for the Democratic nomination in three years, explaining in an interview that he sees "no downside in getting in early" and spending the time to build his name ID.

Delaney is best known in the election reform community for his support of nonpartisan open primaries and independent redistricting commissions.

He re-introduced his "Open Our Democracy Act" in the current congressional session, which would require nonpartisan open primaries similar to those already in place for statewide and non-presidential federal elections in Washington state and California.

Here is how it works: All candidates and voters participate on a single primary ballot and the top two vote-getters move on to the general election, regardless of party affiliation.

The "Open Our Democracy Act" would also make Election Day a legal federal holiday and would require every state to adopt an independent redistricting commission that does not take partisan motivations into account when redrawing congressional districts and is not controlled by a party.

You Might Also Like

Group of people standing outside in DC.
Ranked Choice Voting Survives Delay Attempts in DC
According to reporting from The Washington Informer and WUSA9 (CBS), D.C. Councilmember Wendell Felder (D Ward 7) has withdrawn his emergency legislation that would have required the D.C. Board of Elections (DCBOE) to conduct a comprehensive needs assessment before implementing ranked choice voting (RCV) in 2026. Felder’s proposal did not receive enough support from his colleagues during the council’s December 2 legislative meeting, following a breakfast discussion earlier that morning....
04 Dec, 2025
-
3 min read
Bob Foster
Remembering Bob Foster
Independent Voter News is saddened to share the passing of Bob Foster, a trusted advisor to the Independent Voter Project and a longtime friend of our organization. He died on Sunday at the age of 78....
04 Dec, 2025
-
2 min read
Caution tape with US Capitol building in the background.
Did the Republicans or Democrats Start the Gerrymandering Fight?
The 2026 midterm election cycle is quickly approaching. However, there is a lingering question mark over what congressional maps will look like when voters start to cast their ballots, especially as Republicans and Democrats fight to obtain any electoral advantage possible. ...
11 Nov, 2025
-
8 min read