Thursday, April 17, 2008
Could get interesting
Wash state will be using a partyless Top-Two primary for state legislative seats this year. This means that the #1 and #2 vote-getters in the primary will face each other in the general election, regardless of party.
In many districts this will simply reduce to D on one side and R on the other, but in areas that are solidly owned by one party, it will get much more interesting. Where 90% of the people are D, you know in advance that the top two vote-getters will both be D, so the R party won't even bother. The two finalists will then have to find other ways to compete against each other in the general election.
In this discussion between D and R political consultants, they suggest that the new form will lead to competition based on interest-groups rather than parties. In a heavily D district, one candidate might be backed by the NEA and the other by the Service Employees Union. In a solid R district, one candidate might be backed by wheat farmers, the other by bankers. Because those interests are meaningful to the voter's pocketbook, each candidate will have to "reach across" a fact-based "aisle" to gain enough votes to win. There won't be any safe districts where an incumbent can coast along forever on team loyalty. ¶ 11:40 PM
In many districts this will simply reduce to D on one side and R on the other, but in areas that are solidly owned by one party, it will get much more interesting. Where 90% of the people are D, you know in advance that the top two vote-getters will both be D, so the R party won't even bother. The two finalists will then have to find other ways to compete against each other in the general election.
In this discussion between D and R political consultants, they suggest that the new form will lead to competition based on interest-groups rather than parties. In a heavily D district, one candidate might be backed by the NEA and the other by the Service Employees Union. In a solid R district, one candidate might be backed by wheat farmers, the other by bankers. Because those interests are meaningful to the voter's pocketbook, each candidate will have to "reach across" a fact-based "aisle" to gain enough votes to win. There won't be any safe districts where an incumbent can coast along forever on team loyalty. ¶ 11:40 PM
