California's top-two primary was built for exactly this moment: DSA-backed Democrats facing off against the party's moderate wing in front of the entire electorate, not just a partisan base. The man who wrote that law, former state senator Steve Peace, joins Cara McCormick to break down whether his system is working the way he designed it.

Steve Peace, author of California's top-two primary, walks through the wave of Democrat-on-Democrat races reshaping the state, including Orange County's AD68 fight between DSA-recommended Jesse Lopez and moderate David Penaloza (who finished the primary within a thousand votes of each other) and the South Bay's AD66 battle between Paul Seo, known for his weekly town-hall "coffee klatches," and DSA-backed Sara Dean. Peace argues these races are the real test of nonpartisan primaries, since Republicans and independents, not just Democratic insiders, now get a say in who wins. He digs into why "moderate" candidates often struggle to define a positive agenda, cites polling showing a striking share of Democrats say they'd back a candidate their own party did NOT endorse, and lays out his core argument that partisan primaries, not the parties themselves, are the root cause of Congress's dysfunction.

The Independent Voter Podcast now has its own YouTube channel! If you enjoy these conversations, subscribe to our dedicated channel for full episodes, interviews, and future content: https://youtube.com/@IndependentVoterPodcast

Listen to more episodes and read in-depth coverage at:

https://ivn.us

https://independentvoterproject.org

Follow and subscribe on audio platforms:

https://open.spotify.com/show/1VnqtqjZh9EbmDtVxvHF3R

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/independent-voter-podcast/id1680559155

Chapters:

0:00 – Why Four Democrat vs. Democrat Races Matter

2:28 – Top Two Sends Both Democrats to a Bigger Electorate

4:59 – Orange County, Muddy Platforms and What Are You For

8:59 – Where Progressive Came From and Why Finality Is Anti-Democratic

11:28 – AD66 and the Case for Listening Over Talking

15:26 – Why Republicans Might Vote for DSA Candidates

18:43 – A Third of Democrats Skip the Party's Pick

22:01 – Fear, AI Panic and Solving Everything in a Week

25:56 – Partisan Primaries Are the Problem

31:46 – The Imperial Presidency and a Congress That Stopped Legislating

California's top-two primary was built for exactly this moment: DSA-backed Democrats facing off against the party's moderate wing in front of the entire electorate, not just a partisan base. The man who wrote that law, former state senator Steve Peace, joins Cara McCormick to break down whether his system is working the way he designed it.
Steve Peace, author of California's top-two primary, walks through the wave of Democrat-on-Democrat races reshaping the state, including Orange County's AD68 fight between DSA-recommended Jesse Lopez and moderate David Penaloza (who finished the primary within a thousand votes of each other) and the South Bay's AD66 battle between Paul Seo, known for his weekly town-hall "coffee klatches," and DSA-backed Sara Dean. Peace argues these races are the real test of nonpartisan primaries, since Republicans and independents, not just Democratic insiders, now get a say in who wins. He digs into why "moderate" candidates often struggle to define a positive agenda, cites polling showing a striking share of Democrats say they'd back a candidate their own party did NOT endorse, and lays out his core argument that partisan primaries, not the parties themselves, are the root cause of Congress's dysfunction.
The Independent Voter Podcast now has its own YouTube channel! If you enjoy these conversations, subscribe to our dedicated channel for full episodes, interviews, and future content: <a href="https://youtube.com/@IndependentVoterPodcast">https://youtube.com/@IndependentVoterPodcast</a>
Listen to more episodes and read in-depth coverage at:
<a href="https://ivn.us">https://ivn.us</a>
<a href="https://independentvoterproject.org">https://independentvoterproject.org</a>
Follow and subscribe on audio platforms:
<a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/1VnqtqjZh9EbmDtVxvHF3R">https://open.spotify.com/show/1VnqtqjZh9EbmDtVxvHF3R</a>
<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/independent-voter-podcast/id1680559155">https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/independent-voter-podcast/id1680559155</a>
Chapters:
0:00 &ndash; Why Four Democrat vs. Democrat Races Matter
2:28 &ndash; Top Two Sends Both Democrats to a Bigger Electorate
4:59 &ndash; Orange County, Muddy Platforms and What Are You For
8:59 &ndash; Where Progressive Came From and Why Finality Is Anti-Democratic
11:28 &ndash; AD66 and the Case for Listening Over Talking
15:26 &ndash; Why Republicans Might Vote for DSA Candidates
18:43 &ndash; A Third of Democrats Skip the Party's Pick
22:01 &ndash; Fear, AI Panic and Solving Everything in a Week
25:56 &ndash; Partisan Primaries Are the Problem
31:46 &ndash; The Imperial Presidency and a Congress That Stopped Legislating

Tired of being told what to think by partisan gatekeepers? So are we.
The Independent Voter Podcast brings you conversations that challenge the two-party echo chamber and reject the false binaries dominating today’s political narratives. We focus on two things:
 (1) Election reforms that increase real competition and voter choice, and
 (2) Policy issues that defy the black-and-white frameworks set by national party agendas.

We’ve been called everything: liberals, undercover Republicans, progressives, socialists, libertarians—even anarchists. And depending on the article, they’re all true.
We are open to any voice that follows our simple etiquette. If you believe political independence is a mindset, not a middle ground, you’re in the right place.
This the Independent Voter Podcast..

Tired of being told what to think by partisan gatekeepers? So are we. The Independent Voter Podcast brings you conversations that challenge the two-party echo chamber and reject the false binaries dominating today&rsquo;s political narratives. We focus on two things: &nbsp;(1)&nbsp;Election reforms that increase real competition and voter choice, and &nbsp;(2)&nbsp;Policy issues that defy the black-and-white frameworks set by national party agendas.
We&rsquo;ve been called everything: liberals, undercover Republicans, progressives, socialists, libertarians&mdash;even anarchists. And depending on the article, they&rsquo;re all true. We are open to any voice that follows our simple etiquette. If you believe political independence is a mindset, not a middle ground, you&rsquo;re in the right place. This the Independent Voter Podcast..

Independent Voter Podcast

Tired of being told what to think by partisan gatekeepers? So are we.
The Independent Voter Podcast brings you conversations that challenge the two-party echo chamber and reject the false binaries dominating today’s political narratives. We focus on two things:
 (1) Election reforms that increase real competition and voter choice, and
 (2) Policy issues that defy the black-and-white frameworks set by national party agendas.

We’ve been called everything: liberals, undercover Republicans, progressives, socialists, libertarians—even anarchists. And depending on the article, they’re all true.
We are open to any voice that follows our simple etiquette. If you believe political independence is a mindset, not a middle ground, you’re in the right place.
This the Independent Voter Podcast.

Tired of being told what to think by partisan gatekeepers? So are we. The Independent Voter Podcast brings you conversations that challenge the two-party echo chamber and reject the false binaries dominating today&rsquo;s political narratives. We focus on two things: &nbsp;(1)&nbsp;Election reforms that increase real competition and voter choice, and &nbsp;(2)&nbsp;Policy issues that defy the black-and-white frameworks set by national party agendas.
We&rsquo;ve been called everything: liberals, undercover Republicans, progressives, socialists, libertarians&mdash;even anarchists. And depending on the article, they&rsquo;re all true. We are open to any voice that follows our simple etiquette. If you believe political independence is a mindset, not a middle ground, you&rsquo;re in the right place. This the Independent Voter Podcast.