Jeremy Gruber
Legislation to close the primaries has been languishing in the Texas state legislature for years. Last year, some Republicans went to court to try and change that.
I warned Texas lawmakers about importing New York’s closed primary system. As he cautioned in the Austin American-Statesman:
But Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton responded by taking the extraordinary step of refusing to defend the state’s election laws. When fellow Republican Secretary of State Jane Nelson vowed to vigorously defend the open system, she was forced out of office. It appeared the political establishment was closing ranks to pressure a decision in their favor. The big question was whether Nelson’s successor -or any elected leader in Texas for that matter- would stand up for the voters.
Shawn Griffiths
Now we have an answer.
New Secretary of State Robert Howden has told the court that Texas will continue defending its open primaries - and that if some politicians want to close them, the legislature, not the courts, should decide.
The fight over Texas primaries is far from over. But for now, one thing is clear: Texas has a Secretary of State willing to stand up for voters. Now voters need to stand up too - and make clear that Texas’ open primaries belong to them.
In Case You Missed It
Latino Independents are Changing the Game
In 2016, Open Primaries partnered with civil rights attorney Danny Ortega to conduct a deep dive exploration into the growth of the Latino electorate in Arizona. A key finding was that 81% of Latino voters believe it is important to be independent from both major parties.
Ten years later, veteran political strategist Mike Madrid lays out precisely how the Independent Latino Mindset is reshaping California politics—and provoking shadowy political operatives to push for closed primaries.
Read Mike Madrid’s editorial in the Sacramento Bee
It’s a groundbreaking analysis that shows the relationship between the rise of independents - especially Latino independents - and efforts to prevent them from voting.
IVN Editorial Board
California’s recent gubernatorial primary showed what happens when this emerging electorate has a voice. 41% of voters turned out - compare that to 9% in closed primary New York - the highest turnout for a gubernatorial primary in state history. Driving that turnout were two growing groups: Latino voters and independents.
They call California a blue state. But independent voter registration has surged 50% since 2022, and Latino independent turnout jumped from roughly 11.8% in 2022 to nearly 16.5% this year — a 40% increase, far outpacing overall turnout growth. “Blue” does not capture what is happening in the Golden State.
As Latino voters continue moving beyond old party categories, the question is whether our democracy will adapt to include them - or whether political insiders will try to close the door just as these voters are flexing their muscles.
What We're Talking About
USA Today published a major piece profiling three independent voters as well as Open Primaries President John Opdycke. Kudos to USA Today for being curious about who independent voters are and for spending some time with Open Primaries leaders John Marvin from Florida, Sandi Hebley from Texas, and Sophie Gelling from Pennsylvania.
USA Today: Independent voters in 3 key states reveal what moves needle for them
Meet three independent voters weighing their options in key races in the upcoming midterm elections.
Connecticut Locks Out Over One Million Independents
Tuesday was primary day across the Nutmeg state with hotly contested primaries from Governor to Congress and state legislators. The largest group of voters was barred from voting in the primaries that so often determine their representatives.
Joan Ingalls, lives in a rural area of the state and was out on Primary Day making sure people knew that this was far from a fair election day! She sent an email to State Representative Maria Horn just before the primary asking her to meet to discuss the situation. In her note, Joan wrote: “40% of CT voters are not enrolled in a party. Asking them to register with a party in order to vote in a primary is like asking a Democrat to register as a Republican. It’s asking that in order to exercise their right to vote, they have to deny or give up their beliefs.”
To understand more about the picture in CT, check out my recent op-ed in the CT Insider.
A Message to Mayor Mamdani
Postcard Illustration by Alice Rydel, Manhattan
Hundreds of NYC independents have been signing and sharing the Open Letter to Mayor Mamdani, asking the Mayor to come to a Town hall meeting with NYC independents – now 1.2 million and growing! The Mayor told the media a month ago that he was “quite content” with the current closed primary system.
Righteous Media
Here is the thing – Mayor Mamdani does not have any idea who NYC independent voters are. We’re just a statistic - we’re not real to him. He does not know that we are as diverse as the city, from all boroughs and walks of life. He has not thought about what it feels like to be locked out of elections in a city you love.
That’s why we need a meeting. A big town hall meeting. Not a zoom. Not a phone call. A meeting. Up close and personal!
Next step – We need to start showing up on social media – telling our stories and tagging the Mayor. Mary Fridley, from Brooklyn sent the Mayor this message:
If you live in NYC – make your own video – and post it with the tags #NYOpenprimaires, #MayorMamdani and we’ll share it also. Not on social media, send your video to Cathy Stewart at 917-693-1946 and we’ll post it!
If you live in NYC and are planning to attend Harlem Week – be sure to stop by our booth on Saturday and Sunday afternoon. We’ll be gathering signatures on the Open Letter to the Mayor, and creating lots of video content. We’d love to have you stop by.
Fast Takes
Democrats Have an Identity Problem
A new survey conducted by IVC Media and commissioned by Open Primaries of NYC Democrats is detonating a core assumption of reform opponents by revealing a striking finding- identity collapse inside the party itself. Roughly 40% of registered Democrats in NYC say they are not actually Democrats but explicitly describe themselves as independents forced into Democratic registration just to vote in the election that decides the outcome. Indeed, among Latino Democrats, only one in three identify as true Democrats.
This is no longer a party system reflecting voter affiliation-it is a system quietly requiring misclassification to function. The implications land hard in a city-and country- where millions of independent voters are locked out of the elections that determine most outcomes.
What We're Reading
This Is Our Primary Now
Alaska’s independents are 65% of the electorate, the largest share in the country. And after decades of fighting over who gets to participate, Alaska’s open primary tradition is once again giving them a voice. In a powerful new Anchorage Daily News op-ed, former Revenue Commissioner Randy Hoffbeck delivers a simple message: “This is our primary now.”
That is a remarkable statement in a state whose voters adopted an open primary by referendum in 1947 and defended it for more than 50 years. Alaska understood then what it is rediscovering today: primary elections are public elections, and they should belong to the voters, not the parties.
Tuesday is primary day in the Land of the Midnight Sun, and as Hoffbeck puts it:
Activities/Events
Become a Stronger Voice for Independent Voters
Independent voters are the largest and fastest-growing group in American politics—but too often their voices go unheard.
Open Primaries Independents' Spokesperson Training is designed to help independent and reform-minded Americans communicate with confidence, tell their stories effectively, and become stronger advocates for open, inclusive elections.
Join us on Thursday, October 15 at 6:30 PM ET for an engaging Zoom training featuring storytelling, communications coaching, and practical tools you can use immediately.
Applications are now open, but space is limited.
