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California’s Peculiar Primary System Forced the GOP to Get Strategic
My latest California Post column examines a reality that many California conservatives faced this year: under the state’s top-two primary system, voting for your favorite candidate is not always the same thing as voting strategically.
For much of the race, Steve Hilton and Chad Bianco split Republican support, while Xavier Becerra and Tom Steyer consolidated Democratic votes. As Election Day approached, a growing number of Republicans began asking a difficult question: what happens if the GOP vote remains divided?
In my full column, I examine how California’s primary system changes voter behavior, why many conservatives ultimately rallied behind Hilton, and how close Republicans may have come to being completely shut out of the November ballot.
The larger issue goes beyond any one election.
California’s top-two system was sold as a reform that would empower voters. Instead, it often forces voters to think less about who they most want to represent them and more about who can survive the primary.
When voters feel compelled to abandon their first choice to prevent their least-favored outcome, is that really a healthier democracy?
This year, Republicans successfully navigated that challenge. But the election also exposed the unintended consequences of a system that routinely rewards strategy over preference.
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