We have some new developments in the 2022 state races that will have a huge impact on our ability to bring Ranked Choice Voting to Minnesota.
An independent candidate enters the race for Governor
As many of you may have heard, a third party candidate, former WCCO Radio host Cory Hepola, has entered the race for Minnesota governor. Hepola is running under the Forward Party of Minnesota, a new political party founded by Andrew Yang. His announcement drew the typical cries of spoiler dynamics and vote splitting. We need more competition in our politics and independent parties offer voters the hope of expressing a broader array of political views. Yet, our current plurality system poses a serious dilemma for third party candidates and our democracy: Absent Ranked Choice Voting, they draw votes away from the very candidate with whom they align the most and result in a winner without broad majority support.
Moreover, voters must grapple with the likelihood that their vote for a third party candidate may very well help the candidate they like the least.
Minnesota has a long history of independent parties and third party candidates drawing votes from the other major parties, and that history shows that the plurality system has not served us well. Plurality winners – candidates winning with less than majority support – have unfortunately become commonplace in Minnesota. Indeed, Governor Tim Walz was the first candidate in an open race to win the governorship with a majority since Governor Arnie Carlson's reelection in 1994.
Fundamentally, the number of candidates or third parties participating in a race shouldn’t determine the outcome. The winning candidate should be the one supported by the most voters. That’s what democracy demands. And that’s why we must urgently pass RCV – which would foster more competition and allow voters to vote for the candidate they truly believe in without fear of vote splitting or wasted votes – statewide in Minnesota.
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Now's the time for RCV - Help us advance the RCV for MN bill
Let’s use this moment to accelerate the passage of RCV in Minnesota. Last session, Representatives Steve Elkins, Cedrick Frazier, and Esther Agbaje introduced identical RCV bills in the House, and Senators Kent Eken, Lindsey Port, and Mary Kunesh did the same in the Senate. The bill would implement RCV in primary and general elections for state and federal offices and would allow all local jurisdictions to adopt RCV if they choose. By the end of session, the legislation had 57 cosponsors – the most of any bill last session. These bills carry forward this year, and we are continuing to build support in both chambers.
YOU can help advance this legislation by contacting your representative and urging them to sign onto the bill (HF 1375 authored by Rep. Cedrick Frazier) if they haven’t already and to discuss this critical reform in their town halls. Our key goal this session is to get as many signatures on the RCV for MN bill as possible. [[link removed]]
We can’t pass RCV in the Senate under Senator Mary Kiffmeyer’s chairmanship of the Elections Committee, but we can set the stage for passage in 2023 and when we do, Governor Walz has committed to signing the bill.
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Redistricting: Electing pro-RCV candidates under new maps.
Our opportunity to pass a statewide RCV bill through the Minnesota House and Senate in 2023 depends upon securing pro-RCV majorities in both chambers and electing a pro-RCV governor, and those state legislative elections will happen under the new political maps announced by the courts on February 15.
While we have sadly lost some great RCV champions, including Senate Minority Leader Melisa Franzen, due to redistricting, some RCV opponents have also decided not to run in 2022; notably those retirements include Senate Elections Committee Chair Mary Kiffmeyer who has been an impediment to advancing RCV in the state senate. With growth in the metro and other population centers that have had experience with RCV and tend to favor democracy reform, we have a real opportunity to increase the number of legislators supporting RCV and electing a pro-RCV legislature.
That work begins NOW. FairVote MN will be hosting a series of virtual candidate Meet & Greets this Spring with state legislative candidates in contested endorsements about their support for RCV. We will send out those dates very soon. Follow us on Facebook [[link removed]] and Twitter [[link removed]] for the latest!
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Join the FairVote Minnesota team - we're hiring!
Of course all of this campaign and legislative work requires. . .workers! FairVote Minnesota is recruiting a field team – organizers and a field manager – to help us educate Minnesota voters, advance RCV legislation and elect pro-RCV legislators. We are seeking committed, dynamic team members who have experience successfully working with diverse populations. The field organizers are union positions and members of the Minnesota Newspaper & Communications Guild, TNG-CWA Local 37002. Find out positions and details here [[link removed]] .
Please share this job posting [[link removed]] and help spread the word!
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Stand with democracy, stand with Ukraine
In closing, the stakes of our democratic vision have never been so stark or so clear. The horrific invasion of peaceful, democratic Ukraine by Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and the war crimes and death we are seeing on a daily basis show, in stark relief, the destructive power of facism and the contrast of democratic values with an authoritarian bent on ending them. The Ukrainians’ brave fight for their democracy inspires us and reminds us of the critical importance of working for a stronger democracy and pushing back against extremist, illiberal forces in our own country. At FairVote MN, we are more committed than ever to strengthening democracy at home so that we can live up to the dreams of all democracy-loving people worldwide.
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Sincerely,
Your FairVote MN Team
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FairVote Minnesota
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Saint Paul, MN 55114
United States
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