SAN DIEGO — California’s nonpartisan primary system is based on the premise that every citizen’s vote is equally important, and the elections should be decided in general elections when the most people vote.
This system sometimes produces November campaigns featuring two Democrats or two Republicans.
This year there is even the extremely rare statewide race with two Democrats, State Sen. Ben Allen and former San Francisco Supervisor Jane Kim, on the ballot for insurance commissioner. It is the first time that has happened since voters made the office elected in 1988.
Kim led the June primary with 27.4% of the vote to Allen's 19.4%.
But the real value of the nonpartisan system is in heavily Republican or heavily Democratic districts in which a minority party candidate has absolutely no chance to win in November.
In the old partisan primary system politicians are effectively already elected when they win the primary. This means that millions of independent voters never get a chance to cast a meaningful vote.
But it also means that millions of Democrats living in Republican districts and millions of Republicans living in Democratic districts are also disenfranchised.
Do the math.
The politicians elected in these closed primaries are elected in a primary in which 40% to 50% of voters are prohibited to vote. Then turnout of those eligible is typically 30%. Even if the candidate gets 60% of the votes he is now elected by between 7% and 9% of voters.
Shawn Griffiths
Since 80% or more of legislative and congressional districts fit this “safe Democrat” or “safe Republican” description, it is no surprise that so many politicians spend their time pandering to very narrow interests that control low turnout primary elections rather than the broader concerns of the electorate.
Nonpartisan primaries empower everyday people by allowing everyone to vote in primaries and advancing candidates who get the most votes regardless of party affiliation.
Over a decade of experience in California, however, has shown that when two Democrats advance to the general election, a significant number of Republican voters skip the race seeking to support only Republicans.
The same pattern is true when the roles are reversed.
The irony is not lost on political observers who will be looking closely at the Democrat-on-Democrat campaign for insurance commissioner.
But the more impactful races are for the state legislature.
For example, Assembly District 12 in Northern California, where Democrat Damon Connolly won re-election in 2024 with 75.7% of the vote, pits two Democrats, Eric Lucan and Jackie Elward, against each other this November in a district that could never elect a Republican.
Former Santa Cruz Supervisor and California Secretary of State Bruce McPherson said, “Republicans need to understand the importance of voting in down ticket races, particularly when there is no Republican on the ballot.”
The emergence of the Democratic Socialists of America has made some of these Democrat-on-Democrat battles more sharply defined than in past elections.
Former Democratic Majority Leader Chuck Calderon put it this way, “The irony is that the DSA candidates count on Republicans to skip these races as their path to victory.”
Republican voters and independent voters in these overwhelmingly Democratic districts like AD12 are empowered by the nonpartisan primary system. Will they use it?
Independent Voter Project (IVP) cofounder Steve Peace put it this way:
“Partisan interests on both sides hate these ‘same party’ campaigns. They want people to believe that all Democrats are the same. All Republicans are the same. And all independents are irrelevant. IVP runs programs to encourage everyone to vote. Vote for who you want. But vote. If you skip an election because you don’t like a label you are likely cutting off your nose to spite your face.”