Unlikely allies band to oppose I-872

Published 6:00 am Tuesday, October 12, 2004

An initiative to change the state’s new primary is riding high on a wave of voter discontent, with some polls showing about 67 percent pledging support for the measure.

But a coalition of unlikely allies hopes to unmask Initiative 872 as restrictive to voter freedoms and harmful to third parties.

Democrats, Republicans, Greens and Libertarians oppose I-872’s Louisiana-style system that would advance the two top vote-getters to the general election, regardless of party affiliation.

The two major parties say I-872 would unfairly favor incumbents and limit choices in voting districts. Third-party candidates say the the initiative would dramatically reduce their chances of advancing to the general election.

“It’s a step in the wrong direction,” said Dan Goebel, the Libertarian candidate for the 23rd Legislative District’s Position 1 House seat. “It rules out other choices and shuts down new thinking that a free society should be open to.”

Spearheaded by the Washington State Grange, a grassroots, rural-interests organization, the initiative hopes to reopen the new closed “pick-a-party” primary.

The Grange led a similar initiative drive in 1935 that established the state’s blanket primary. Federal courts declared the 70-year-old primary unconstitutional for allowing voters to cross party lines. Gov. Gary Locke then signed into law a “closed primary” system requiring voters to select a single party’s ballot in primary elections.

About 80 percent of voters disliked September’s new primary system, according to a poll conducted for the Secretary of State’s office, and are likely to show their unhappiness by supporting I-872.

Bainbridge Island Grange member Alice Magnusson, who collected signatures for the initiative, called the new primary “dreadful” because it robs her of voting freedoms and forces her to choose “the party and not the person.”

But Mark Wilson, a Suquamish resident and Green Party candidate running against Democratic Party incumbent Patty Murray and Republican hopeful George Nethercutt for a U.S. Senate seat, hopes voters quell their anger and take a hard look at the initiative.

“People are afraid and confused, but they don’t really understand the impact,” he said. “Any time your choices are tilted toward the incumbent it eliminates democratic choices. In a free society, choice is a sought-after element.”

Former Green Party presidential candidate Ralph Nader weighed in on the issue Sunday during an appearance in Olympia, calling I-872 an “assault on democracy.” Nader and other third-party candidates are inflating the issue, said the Grange’s State Master Terry Hunt.

“They will tell you that third parties will suffer, which is not true – they will only become more competitive and they could actually benefit in ‘safe’ districts,” he said.

This line of reasoning argues that a left-leaning district might elect a Green Party candidate as a second choice and advance the candidate to the general election.

But Greens are already a part of the general election, without having to qualify for a first or second position, Wilson said. The current system has more candidates listed on the ballot than a Louisiana-style system would permit.

“It’s not going to improve anybody’s chances and it’s not going to restore the choices voters had in the past,” he said.

Democrats and Republicans want to maintain the new primary they’ve worked hard to establish, maintaining that I-872 would corrode elections.

“It’s patterned after Louisiana’s primary,” said Jim Sharpe, state committee man for the 23rd District Democrats, “I don’t know why we’d want to copy that. It leads to things like David Duke getting into office – and that’s not good for anybody.”

A gathering of I-872 opponents in Seattle Monday displayed a motley group of Republicans and Democrats joining hands over the issue. Democrats Gov. Gary Locke and former Gov. Mike Lowry were side-by-side with former Republican Gov. John Spellman.

Proponents also have a bipartisan array of big-name politicians, including former Sen. Slade Gordon, a Republican, and Lt. Gov. Brad Owen, a Democrat.

Republican Secretary of State Sam Reed has been a vocal supporter of I-872 and is confident the measure will weather the storm of party opposition.

But other party officials disagree.

Chris Vance, state Republican chairman, believes Republicans could legally ignore a Louisiana-style primary’s results and nominate party candidates for the general election.

Goebel thinks the courts will weigh in again to quash the new primary system.

“Even if it passes, we’ll challenge it in court and it will likely be declared unconstitutional anyway,” he said.