The specter of an all-GOP gubernatorial race spurs a push to fix the primary

Voters in California may have a chance to redo the state’s open primary program in two years.

Political consultant Steve Maviglio filed a petition Friday with state officials seeking to change California’s voting system by returning to a common primary. Under the proposal, the top national election candidates from each party would advance to the general election in November.

The current system allows the top two, regardless of team, to advance to runner-up. That led to situations where two Democrats or two Republicans faced off in the general election.

The state’s gubernatorial election, for example, has raised concerns that two Republicans may shut out members of the Democratic Alliance. Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco and former Fox News commentator Steve Hilton polled the top in various polls and faced a large field of Democrats.

Democratic voters outnumber Republicans in California, but some political consultants say they fear there are so many Democrats running that voters won’t rally around one candidate and split the field. That fear has eased a bit in recent months as some Democratic candidates have come out of the pack.

The two-state primary system has been in place since California voters passed Proposition 14 in 2010. The goal was to help end partisan gridlock in Sacramento and force candidates in the primaries to appeal to a broader electorate, rather than just those within their party.

Proposition 14, along with the state’s decade-long redistricting process, has led to some dramatic races, including head-to-head battles between Democratic Reps. Brad Sherman and Howard Berman in Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley congressional district. Amidst the controversy and attack ads, the two nearly clashed over a public debate.

Maviglio described the vote as a simple repeal of Proposition 14, which he said was motivated by the governor’s race.

“It was very scary to watch the November gubernatorial vote with Republicans on it,” Maviglio said.

The New York Times first reported on the ballot measure proposal.

A news release from Maviglio says the proposed repeal of Prop. 14 “is motivated by concerns that California primaries alienate the majority of California voters by limiting the choice of candidates to one party.”

The effort’s website includes criticism of the current primary system by Democratic Party Chairman Rusty Hicks and Ron Nehring, former chairman of the California Republican Party.

Maviglio’s voting system proposes to appear in the 2028 election and take effect in 2030.

Talk of replacing Proposition 14 has been swirling in Sacramento for months.

Secretary of State Shirley Weber told reporters at an unrelated news conference last week that she voted years ago against Proposition 14. She questioned whether it really succeeded in creating more diversity.

“I didn’t like the open primary,” Weber said. “I didn’t think it was going to solve the problems. They had a list of problems it was going to solve, and none of them were solved.”