Cara McCormick sits down with former California state senator Steve Peace - author of the Top Two primary law - to react to the California governor's race debate.

They unpack the most memorable moments (Becerra's "Steve Hilton's daddy" line, Hilton waving the insurance statute at Becerra on stage, Katie Porter catching Tom Steyer on his own contradiction), why the moderators' yes-or-no format is killing real debate, and why Peace says, "there's no longer a constituency for governance."

From there, the conversation traces a pattern Peace has watched play out for 30 years - the same playbook that wrecked California's insurance market and energy market is now hitting housing - and ends on why Prop 50, the "jungle primary" smear campaign, and the death of citizen government all connect back to one thing: partisan primaries.

This episode is sponsored by the Independent Voter Project and produced by Olas Media. Listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

Episode Highlights

In this must-listen episode of the Independent Voter Podcast, Cara Brown McCormick has a one-on-one conversation with former California State Senator and Independent Voter Project Co-Founder Steve Peace to break down what happened in the California governor’s debate.

They also dive into political polarization and what’s really driving voter disengagement in 2026.

With 1-in-4 California voters still undecided heading into the election cycle, the conversation zeroes in on why hyper-partisan rhetoric and toxic political discourse are fueling a systemic breakdown in American democracy. 

Peace argues that neither the Democratic Party nor the Republican Party is focused on persuasion or governance. Instead, both sides are laser-focused on base mobilization and fear-driven narratives amplified by social media algorithms and a 24/7 news cycle.

The duo digs deep into California's affordability crisis, housing costs, skyrocketing homeowners' insurance rates, and the state's regulatory environment, They connect these kitchen-table economic issues to decades of broken policy decisions driven by both political parties, special interests, and a ballot initiative process increasingly hijacked by big money. 

Peace calls out the dangers of unregulated capitalism on one extreme and unchecked government overreach on the other. He warns that without structural electoral reform – including the abolition of closed partisan primaries in favor of open Top Four or Top Five "more choice" voting systems — voters will continue to be offered only the most extreme candidates chosen by a sliver of the electorate. 

The discussion also touches on wealth inequality, the gambling industry's explosive growth, the gig economy, and the urgent need for a conversation about a four-day workweek.

At its core, this episode is a rallying cry for independent voters, electoral reform advocates, and anyone frustrated with the two-party duopoly. Peace and McCormick explore how gerrymandering, voter suppression through rigged filing periods, and the professionalization of political campaigns have shut everyday citizens out of the democratic process. 

They champion the Independent Voter Project's mission: empowering voters – not party machines – to evaluate candidates on merit, cut through partisan noise, and rebuild civic trust from the ground up. 

If you're searching for a political podcast that goes beyond left vs. right and tackles real systemic reform, citizen empowerment, and the future of democracy in a transparent internet age, this episode is essential listening.