primary

Endorsements in May 2018 Primary Election

 

Candidate Office
Party Primary
(or nonpartisan)
Win?
Marc Koller U.S. Congress, 3rd Dist Independent W
Peter Wright U.S. Congress, 5th Dist Democratic L
Jo Ann Hardesty Portland City Council #3 nonpartisan W
Julia DeGraw Portland City Council #2 nonpartisan L
Louise Lopes Clackamas Co. Comm. #2 nonpartisan L
Peter Winter Clackamas Co. Comm. #2 nonpartisan L
Sherry Healy Clackamas Co. Clerk nonpartisan L
Paulette LIchatowich Columbia Co. Comm. #2 nonpartisan W
John Maxwell State Senate #16 Democratic L
Cynthia Hyatt
State House #15 Independent W
Brian Halvolsen
State House #32 Independent W
Chris Henry
State House #40 Independent W
Mike Ellison State House #19 Democratic W
Dana Carstensen
Metro Council nonpartisan L

Vote No on Measure 90: Destroys Minor Parties

Here is the joint Voters' Pamphlet statement of Oregon Progressive Party and Pacific Green Party:

Oregon’s Grassroots Political Parties Say “Vote NO” on Measure 90: “Top Two Primary”

The big business backers of Measure 90 want to restrict your right to vote for the candidates and political parties of your choice. They want only Democrats and Republicans on the November ballot.

Measure 90 will allow only two candidates on the November ballot in each race. Both candidates can be from the same party.

 Under “Top Two” in Washington and California, there have been:
ZERO minor party or independent candidates
on the general election ballot for
any statewide office

and

ZERO minor party candidates for any office,
including the Legislature, when two major party candidates
ran in the primary election.

Washington elects 147 legislators and 12 Congress members; California elects 120 legislators and 55 Congress members. In November, voters in those states could vote for only Democrats and Republicans in races where at least 2 of them ran in the primary. In California there will be 28 races this November between 2 Democrats or between 2 Republicans.

In practice, “Top Two” means just Democrats and Republicans, period.

The impartial Oregon Citizens’ Review Committee voted 14-5 to oppose Measure 90, in part because:

“Measure 90 has several drafting errors. The most significant appears to eliminate minor parties. Because M90 bars parties from nominating candidates, their legal status is in jeopardy.”

Measure 90 backers claim it will increase voter turnout and produce “moderate” legislatures. But, under Top Two, California and Washington just suffered the lowest voter turnout primaries in their histories. A 2014 study by professors at Princeton and Georgetown ranked the California and Washington legislatures #1 and #4 in most polarization among the 50 states. Oregon ranked #18.

Oregon has a long and proud history of grassroots political parties and independent voices. Voters need real, meaningful choices on the November ballot. That’s why we’re urging NO on Measure 90.

VISIT SAVEOREGONSDEMOCRACY.ORG

Oregon Progressive Party     progparty.org
Pacific Green Party of Oregon     pacificgreens.org

San Jose Mercury News Article on Top-2 Primary

The San Jose Mercury News has this article, "California's minor parties facing extinction under new voting system." The founders and leaders of the Oregon Progressive Party led the opposition to adopting a very similar system in Oregon (Measure 65 of 2008), which Oregon voters defeated by 66-34%.

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