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San Diego, Calif.- Oprah Winfrey is a registered independent, wait... what? The cultural icon said she has "earned the right to think for myself and to vote for myself." At a rally in Marietta, Georgia for gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, Oprah emphasized the importance of getting out to vote over any partisan or policy message. Independents across the country let out a collective, hell yes! Oprah The Independent Winfrey announced why she is not beholden to the two-party dysfunction

In the latest episode of "In Full Color," I talk with IVN author Wes Messamore and IVC Media President Chad Peace on what independent-minded voters should be watching come Election Day. In the episode we discuss a GOP secretary of state who explicitly called on voters to vote straight-ticket Republican days before the election. Yet as we know, this problem is not one-sided as partisan secretaries of state routinely make partisan statements and campaign with candidates. Do we need more vigorous

San Diego, Calif.- Three recent polls show independent candidate for Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner continuing to lead Democrat Ricardo Lara. Poizner leads Lara on average 44.5% to 38.7%. He's doing it with NPP voters, as well as Republican voters. Poizner is the overwhelming choice for the GOP. According to the Berkeley poll, it's to the tune of 86%. If he wins, Poizner would be the first NPP candidate to win statewide office in California. The three polls are from Berkeley IGS, IVN, a

In this episode of Deconstructed, TJ O’Hara sits down with Joe Trippi, Democratic strategist, author, and political commentator. Trippi has worked on some challenging campaigns, like Howard Dean, Ted Kennedy, and now, Ammar Campa-Najjar in California’s 50th Congressional District. The two “deconstruct” the shifting campaign climate, the challenges in his current campaign, and the impact of social media on campaigns.

Amid all the divisive ugliness inside the Beltway, here is some good news: 2018 may well be the best year in a half century for election reform. Today’s narrative laments a crumbling democracy, alienated voters, and a political culture spiraling ever downward. While true, that narrative is incomplete. It misses the remarkable energy building across many states to confront these problems, shore up our democracy, and rebuild our political culture. Nowhere is that energy more apparent than in the

San Diego, Calif.- California may be considered a one-party state, but within its chambers are some legislators who don’t take marching orders from either party’s leadership. And they’re effective. Below, we take a look at 8 of California’s most independent-minded legislators, and why the Democratic Party is hoping that a “blue wave” crashes on some of their seats: Blanca Rubio, 48th Assembly District (D) Looking at Blanca Rubio's voting record, you'd think she wouldn't be in the Dems cross

In 2018's midterm election, California voters will be choosing between a Republican and another Republican or a Democrat and another Democrat in ten California midterm election races, including three statewide races: for U.S. Senate, Lt. Governor, and Superintendent of Public Instruction. This is an odd and interesting result of the revolutionary election reform California voters adopted in 2010, the top two open primary system. Unlike traditional elections, in which the winners of partisan pri

As the inked dried on the new opioid fighting-bill, SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act, tech leaders offered to pledge their support to help stop an opioid epidemic that killed more than 48,000 Americans in 2017. The law expands access to drug treatment and prevention programs across federal agencies and moves to block shipments of drugs such as opioids and the very dangerous fentanyl from entering the country. Google, for one, created a locator to mark 1,000 Walgreens locations on Googl

It wouldn’t be election season without a bunch of big-money interests trying to tell you how to vote. This year, with hundreds of millions of dollars rolling into initiative campaigns over housing and health care, California has hit a new record. The $111 million campaign against Proposition 8 on kidney dialysis clinics amounts to the most money poured into a single side of a ballot measure in the United States—at least since electronic record-keeping began in 2002, and possibly ever. Here are

https://soundcloud.com/independent-voter-podcast/calmatters-dan-walters-talks-november-election San Diego, CALIF.- California Democrats had supermajorities in 2014 and 2016, only to lose them the next year. Now, with Gavin Newsom in line to take Jerry Brown's seat, and record setting campaign contributions, there is a very real possibility Democrats will once again have all the power in California. Considering how deep blue California has gone, concerns are surfacing about appropriate checks