Posted on 05/27/2011 8:33:12 AM PDT by SmithL
Voters along Los Angeles County's southern coast conducted a test run of the state's new top-two primary election system this month, and the outcome is a harbinger of next year's elections in 153 newly redrawn congressional and legislative districts.
The special election in the 36th Congressional District was triggered by the resignation of Democratic Rep. Jane Harman. It was virtually certain from the onset that her successor would be a Democrat – but uncertain which Democrat.
The top-two system requires all candidates to be listed on the same ballot, regardless of party, with the top two vote-getters moving into the final runoff. That's true even if that means two candidates from the same party are competing for the seat.
The special election shaped up as an ideological battle within the Democratic Party – whether Harman's relatively centrist outlook would be continued or the district would move left.
Los Angeles City Councilwoman Janice Hahn was the centrist candidate while Secretary of State Debra Bowen was backed by the party's more liberal wing.
Their duel, however, was distorted by leftist Democrat Marcy Winograd's stubborn insistence on running.
In the past, Winograd had been the darling of the Democratic left as she challenged Harman, U.S. policy toward Israel being her major issue.
(Excerpt) Read more at sacbee.com ...
The Stacked Deck Method of Elections
The nerve of someone other than "the chosen" running for an open seat!
That is it. Another "progressive" election reform, the theory claims it'll force more centrist candidates to the front in highly partisan districts.
Moderating the Democrats sent to office? I'll believe it when I see it.
The interesting part is that the Dems-Arnold-Maldonado strategy did not work. The second place finisher was a Republican
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