Open Primaries Campaign Launches in New Mexico

On Tuesday, SB16 for semi-open primaries was introduced with sponsors in both the Senate and the House. The bill would give over 330,000 independent New Mexicans the right to vote in New Mexico’s taxpayer-funded primaries.

In 2023, the New Mexico Senate passed a similar bill, but the bill fell one vote short in the House. 

A vibrant local coalition has come together under the leadership of New Mexico Open Elections and ED Sila Avcil to take the bill all the way. Members include the NM League of Women Voters, Conservation Voters New Mexico, Veterans for All Voters NM, and New Mexico Common Cause.  

In an editorial in the Las Cruces Sun News, State Senator Carrie Hamblen wrote:

This campaign has been ten years in the making, and Open Primaries has been there every step of the way. Shout out to Bob Perls, the founder and President of New Mexico Open Elections who launched the effort and has never stopped building it.

Next week we will be sharing concrete ways you can help support this effort. Stay tuned! 

Our longtime friend Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt made a terrific appearance on MSNBC over the weekend where he took the opportunity to break down why open, nonpartisan primaries are THE issue we should be focused on:

Last October, the Pennsylvania State House voted on, and approved, legislation to create open primaries in PA. A similar bill passed the Senate the year before. Now The Philadelphia Citizen makes the case for why it's finally time for the Keystone State to let all voters vote. Ballot PA Chair David Thornburgh is leading the effort: 

Read more! 

Building Trust, Not Better Mousetraps: A Conversation w/ Open Primaries President John Opdycke

WHO: Open Primaries Founder & President John Opdycke is swapping roles and will be interviewed by our guest moderator Chloe Akers–the Founder and CEO of The Best of Tennessee–an organization focused on educating voters about the importance of participating in primary elections and bringing more “complexity” to political conversation.

WHAT: Building Trust, Not Better Mousetraps: A Conversation w/ Open Primaries President John Opdycke and hosted by Chloe Akers. Opdycke and Akers will have an honest, open and forward-looking discussion on where we are as a movement and how we build a powerful going-forward strategy. 

WHEN: Thursday January 30th at 2pm ET

HOW: On Zoom–register today!

Join the conversation to get us off on the right foot in 2025.  It’s also recommended that you read John’s year end report in advance.

Oklahoma United Hosts Commonsense Club Meeting 

Oklahoma United is hosting their first CommonSense Club Meeting since the filing of State Question 836–an initiative proposing a constitutional change to replace Oklahoma’s exclusionary closed primary system with open primaries, ensuring that every registered voter has a voice in the elections their tax dollars fund.

Speakers will include: Margaret Kobos, Founder and CEO of Oklahoma United, Julie Knutson, President and CEO of The Oklahoma Academy, Kris Steele, Former Republican Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives, and Tony Stobbe, U.S. Coast Guard Veteran.

Event Details:

What: Oklahoma United CommonSense Club Meeting

When: Monday, January 27, 2025, 6:00 PM – 7:00 PM

Where: First United Bank — Shawnee Harrison, 2675 N Harrison Ave, Shawnee, OK 74804

RSVP Now: https://ok-united.org/upcoming-events

If you’re in Oklahoma, we encourage you to sign up and get involved!

Have a great weekend,

The Open Primaries Team