Why support candidates in the primaries?
90% of districts aren't competitive - which leaves the primary as where your vote matters.
Running for office has been a real eye-opener. It’s changed how I think about how we should deploy our campaign dollars.
Over the years, I’ve spent a lot of time focusing on the general election, but primaries play a special role. (Disclaimer: I am currently a candidate running in a partisan primary - on Tuesday!)
Eyes are turning toward the 2026 general election. Democrats see retaking the House and maybe the Senate. In the House, the biggest force is a massive swing of opinion against an incompetent and malicious administration. But gerrymandering comes in second, and has tilted the playing field by 7 to 10 seats. That’s not an insurmountable advantage, but it does create headwinds. The Senate, meanwhile, is now in play. Texas Republicans showed that they’re not letting go of Trump by nominating an extremist and probable criminal, Ken Paxton. I would not rule out Democrats taking both chambers.
Primaries, a remaining leverage point in U.S. elections
The question remains: why should we pay attention to primaries? Primaries fly under the radar under what I could call the “warm body” theory - each side just needs votes. But at a time of disruption and change in American politics, however, we might want to give that a second thought.
Since 2025, we’ve seen the most disruptive changes to the American system in living memory: a runaway executive branch, given latitude by a feckless Congress and a Supreme Court captured by the extremist right. Under these conditions, we need to elect officials who are willing to make dramatic changes in the system.
The Democratic Party has shown itself unwilling or unable to use all the levers of power available to it. Outsiders need to refresh the party.
The power of partisan primaries
Ninety percent of districts in America are not competitive in the general election. In those districts, the primary is the decisive election. Certainly many candidates are “warm body” candidates - but surely voters deserve more.
In my district, New Jersey’s 12th Congressional District, no other candidate in my race is highlighting the need for deep structural change.
When I talk to people, I tell them about the need for Congress to reassert itself under Article I. Congress also needs to rein in the Supreme Court using its Article III powers: it can and should enlarge the Court so that it is no longer under the control of one president’s appointments. As the Brennan Center has pointed out, term limits can force turnover on the Court. These changes would, in all likelihood, make the Supreme Court more responsive and less of a partisan football for capture by the Federalist Society.
A chance to elect the candidate, not the party
Recent research has shown that for Democrats, nominating a progressive vs. a moderate only affects the general election outcome by 1 or 2 percentage points on average. For these reasons, the primary gives us a pretty free choice in who we nominate. This means it’s a chance to nominate someone of good character - or someone willing to buck their party.
Primaries are cheap!
For now, primaries are far cheaper - which means your donations go farther. A typical primary campaign can be waged for $1 million, while a general election campaign can cost 10 times that. That means it’s possible to move the needle meaningfully in ways that are hard in a general election.
A long-term solution: all-party primaries
In the long term, there are better solutions: all-party primaries, which give all voters a voice and bring the possibility of nominating candidates who can achieve broad support. But this year, we have to play the ball where it lies - and for the most part, that’s partisan primaries.
Send a scientist to save democracy!
If you’re persuaded by this argument and want to see long-term change in Congress, support candidates who will work to fix a deeply broken system. This candidacy is the reason I do this work - to end gerrymandering and build a truly representative democracy.
Sam, do you like "jungle" / nonpartisan primaries (where all candidates are on the same primary ballot, regardless of party preference) to inject more competition?