John --

The race to 2024 has begun. Former UN Ambassador and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley announced yesterday that she will challenge Donald Trump for the Republican presidential nomination. She won’t be the only one. Sen. Tim Scott is reportedly planning to launch a bid, as is New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu. The list of other possible GOP contenders is long and includes Trump Administration alums Mike Pence, Mike Pompeo, and John Bolton; Govs. Ron DeSantis, Brian Kemp, and Kristi Noem; former Congresswoman Liz Cheney; and past candidates like Sen. Ted Cruz and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. 2016 anyone? Maybe someone should tell them about ranked-choice voting...

It’s all kind of exhausting, isn’t it? Now don’t get us wrong. We’re not saying the presidency isn’t important; it obviously is. But it’s not the only job in public service, and the path to it is chock full of other roles from the hyper-local (think dog catcher) to the really, really powerful (think Speaker of the House). In fact, there are half a million elected offices throughout the country—in any given election, up to 70% of them go uncontested. Those positions aren’t covered on CNN, but they have a big impact on our communities and our day-to-day lives. They’re also how politicians build experience and visibility to reach the next rung of leadership.

That’s why Forward’s 50-state strategy is so critical. A national party that focuses solely on the few hundred or so federal offices might garner big media attention, but it does nothing to solve the problems in our own backyards. We believe good governance starts at the community level, so that’s where we’re starting. That’s also where we’ll find future Forward leaders—those independent-minded diamonds in the rough who will eventually serve in Congress and perhaps the White House someday.

And finally, we’re working hard at the state level for CHOICE. Those uncontested positions? Often enough, they’re uncontested because the districts they represent are so hopelessly gerrymandered, they’re essentially run by one party. Or, independents and candidates from other parties don’t have the ballot access needed to even make a viable bid. Or, both of these things may be going on at the same time, depriving voters of good options—or any at all. That’s not really a democracy anymore. Someone has to fix this. It might as well be us.

• Seven issues that will define the 2024 election —The Hill

• Here are the Republicans considering 2024 presidential runs —CNN

• Republicans cool on Trump 2024 bid, Democrats even cooler on Biden, Reuters/Ipsos poll shows —Reuters

• Biden deals with huge 2024 disconnect between Democratic voters and insiders —Axios

• If Trump and Biden are the nominees in 2024, look out for a third-party candidate —Vanity Fair
  
  

OTHER NEWS & VIEWS

Vermont considers ranked-choice voting  
Vermont lawmakers are having discussions this week on incorporating ranked-choice voting into the state’s primary elections. The Vermont Senate Committee on Government Operations has heard from representatives from other states, including Colorado and Utah, that have had positive experiences with RCV. The discussion will inform a potential transition to RCV for the 2024 presidential primary. So far, Vermont Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas has said she supports the system for presidential primaries, but Gov. Phil Scott has said he is opposed. —WCAX

More ranked-choice voting news:

• Kelly Tshibaka takes on a new opponent: Alaska ranked-choice voting —Alaska Public Media
• City would be wise to move to ranked-choice voting —The Frederick News-Post
• Ranked-choice voting is building momentum in Chicago —WBEZ
• Ranked-choice voting? Open primaries? Bipartisan group calls for overhauling RI elections —WPRI

Texas gets its primaries right
“Texans do not affiliate with a political party when they register to vote. For primaries, they choose either the Republican or Democratic ballot. Better still, they are able to change which primary they vote in from one year to the next. Texas offers freedom to the electorate. Voters never have to go through the hoops and hassle of changing their registration to participate in the hottest primary competition or to back a candidate who inspires them.” —Milan Simonich in Santa Fe New Mexican

More open primaries news:

• Bill proposes idea of open primary elections in New Mexico —KRQE
• Proposed amendment would allow for open primaries in Arkansas elections —KARK

We need a new political era 
“[O]ne of the reasons why we are seeing the emergence of the Forward Party is because a new demographic—younger voters age 30 and under—are becoming independents who want something new, bold, and more bipartisan. They have been turned off by both ruling parties, and they are turning to whoever might represent their political viewpoints.” —Daniel Nardini in Lawndale News

We love what Debilyn Molineaux wrote in The Fulcrum today: “For our nation to have integrity, we need elected leaders to commit to the process of democracy as more important than ‘winning.’ Democracy is the process of self-rule; it is not the domination of our beliefs over others, infringing on their freedoms.” As the 2024 presidential race gets underway, there will naturally be a lot of talk about which candidates are winning. At Forward, we’d like to rethink the whole idea of what “winning” truly means in a democracy. Capturing a seat is only the start. Until the American people are winning, nothing has been won.

All the best,
The Forward Party Team

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