Proposition 14 Will Not Do Much to Erode Democratic Dominance in California
Given the disgruntled mood of Californians toward Sacramento, it is no surprise that reform is in the air. Proposition 14 on the ballot in the June primary was placed there by a reluctant legislature to secure the vote of then-Senator Abel Maldonado (R-Santa Maria) for the 2009 budget deal. Maldonado’s idea would eliminate party primaries with the hope that political strife in California would decline if more moderate legislators were elected, assuming, of course, the effectiveness of a Proposition 14 election system to produce more centrist elected officials.
Will change result if Proposition 14 is approved by voters?
Certainly, voters would have more choice in a Proposition 14 primary, because any voter could cast a vote for any candidate, without regard to anyone’s party affiliation or lack thereof. And even in top two run offs between two members of the same party, candidates will have to appeal to voters beyond the party faithful, and far fewer races will have results that are preordained after the primary.