ODD BEDFELLOWS: Both major parties, labor groups with significant political muscle, and groups that want to push state government to the left have all signaled opposition to a ballot question that would scrap the existing Democratic and Republican primary election system, replacing them with a single contest featuring candidates from all parties. Chris Lisinski breaks down the politics.
excerpt:
“Hating jungle primaries,” as all-party primary structures are sometimes dubbed, “is maybe the most bipartisan issue in America,” said Jordan Berg Powers, the chair of the campaign committee urging voters to say “No on 3.”
Political insiders have been skeptical about the proposal since it emerged last year, and the opposition campaign formally launched earlier this month.
Early members include the Massachusetts Democratic Party, whose governing body voted in April to oppose the question, groups that lean further to the left like Progressive Mass and Act on Mass, and half a dozen unions, such as the American Federation of Teachers Massachusetts chapter and 32BJ SEIU. The Massachusetts Republican Party is not officially a member of the coalition, but it “firmly opposes” the ballot question.
“This misguided initiative would undermine core democratic principles by eroding the ability of political parties to select their own nominees, marginalizing smaller parties, stifling ideological diversity, suppressing general-election turnout, and amplifying the role of big money while disadvantaging grassroots efforts,” MassGOP chair Amy Carnevale said in a statement.
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