Shawn Griffiths
Photo by Phil Scroggs on Unsplash
In a new video posted by the nonpartisan primary reform group Open Primaries, Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt discusses his support for an open primary system in which all candidates have to make their case to all registered voters, regardless of party.
"Open primaries aren't a weird, foreign concept," he said.
Holt contrasted the incentive structure of a nonpartisan primary system used in many cities across the country and in states like Alaska and California to a partisan primary system, like the closed system in Oklahoma.
"People always look at Oklahoma City and Tulsa and they say, 'For whatever successes or failures you have, gosh it sure seems like you are electing mayors that unify people, that seem competent, that are well liked across the political spectrum,' and it's not magic," says Holt.
He adds that perceptions of elected leaders in Oklahoma's two largest cities versus those of state and federal leadership directly trace back to how voters elect people.
Holt further explained:
"In Oklahoma City and Tulsa, we have basically a nonpartisan top two -- you can call it a jungle primary, you can call it any number of things, you can call it a unified primary -- but the reality is it has two principles that I think are critical."
The first principle is "every voter gets to see all the candidates," regardless of party affiliation or lack thereof. The second principle is "all of the candidates have to face all the voters."
Notably, the term "jungle primary" is often associated with nonpartisan primary systems in general, but it was first used to describe the nonpartisan election system in Louisiana -- which is a different system altogether.
In Louisiana, there is only a general election and while all candidates and voters participate, if a candidate gets over 50% of the vote that candidate wins the election. If not, a runoff election is held the following month.
This is different than the nonpartisan primaries used in Alaska, California, and Washington, in which the top two or top four (in Alaska) candidates advance to the general election regardless of how much of the vote they get.
Holt added that candidates who have run in a closed partisan primary understand that to be successful in elections candidates have to appeal to "a narrower, narrower slice of the electorate."
The incentive is to govern to that shrinking group of voters.
Holt believes that most voters want to see candidates work together. He said there is an extreme minority on both sides who may make up 15% of the electorate, but 70% of voters want elected officials to get things done.
"What we have seen as a formula for success in Oklahoma City absolutely can be replicated at the state level," he said. Check out more from the conversation in the video above.