Three steps in the right direction.



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Hi Friend,



Five years before becoming president, then-Senator John F. Kennedy published
the bookProfiles in Courage. In it, he wrote, “Today the challenge of political
courage looms larger than ever before.”



Sixty-six years later, this sentiment still rings true — possibly more so than
it did when it first went to print. In 1956, there were fewer than 10 senators
who were willing to break the party line and place country over party. Today,
we see a very similar scenario playing out. However, there is a silver lining —
thanks to the courage of a few brave politicians, others are beginning to
follow in their footsteps. And moreover, the election reforms making headway in
states across the country have the power to rewire our broken political system
to ensure that when elected leaders put country and voters first, they’re
rewarded, not punished. Leaders like former California Governor Arnold
Schwarzenegger did both: bucking his party to ensure stronger democracy in his
efforts to pass landmark reform over a decade ago — but more on that below.



Keeping courage in mind, here are three things to think about this week:





Unite America presents Governor Schwarzenegger with the Champion of Democracy
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We are honored to present our inaugural Champion of Democracy award to former
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. A trailblazer, Governor
Schwarzenegger was ahead of his time in passing both redistricting and primary
reform in California more than a decade ago. Through his fierce determination
and unwavering dedication to putting voters first, the bipartisan-supported
reforms have since become a model for our nation.


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Please join us in congratulating Governor Schwarzenegger
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A new redistricting report shows the power of citizens shows the power of
citizens
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New America’s Lee Drutman has published a report about legislative
redistricting that should alarm those who want a more representative
government. The verdict? Most states are guilty of partisan gerrymandering.
Drutman finds that gerrymandering has grown increasingly worse nationwide, but
that when citizens draw maps instead of politicians districts are generally
fairer, more compact, more competitive, and better keep the community and
minority groups together.Click here to read the impressive report commissioned
by Unite America.
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Putting a finger on the pulse of the Primary Problem
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In a recent interview with 60 Minutes
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made a comment that summed up the Primary Problem that we’re working so hard to
solve.



'I've had six Republican senators… come up to me in the last two years and
say, "Joe, I agree with you, but if I — if I vote this way…they're gonna
primary me. I'm gonna lose an election." It didn't use to be that way. But it's
coming back a little bit. It's coming back.' — President Joe Biden



A recent Bipartisan Policy Center update found that 60 Senators — evenly
divided — have played a leading role in advancing bipartisan legislation in
this Congress.
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But voters shouldn’t take such an accord for granted. An increasing volume of
legislation has to pass a 60-vote threshold, because of how the minority party
behaves and finding a handful of senators to put country above party when the
moment calls for it is no small feat and far more rare than the majority of
voters would like it to be.

The opportunity for more representatives to join in these bipartisan efforts
will only decrease without the continued expansion of reforms like nonpartisan
primaries and ranked choice voting. As more states begin to adopt a nonpartisan
primary system — like Alaska and possibly Nevada this fall — more
representatives will be incentivized to work together without the fear of being
“primaried” in the next election.



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Alana
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Alana Persson
Unite America

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