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Q&A
Chair Buery discusses potential outcomes of nonpartisan primaries
1:04:08
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131 sec
Chair Richard R. Buery Jr. elaborates on the previous point, noting that a nonpartisan primary system could lead to two candidates from the same party (e.g., two Democrats) advancing to the general election if they are the most popular overall, supporting the argument that the system isn't inherently biased against any party.
John Ketchum concurs, stressing that local issues often transcend national party lines and mentioning the possibility of more issue-focused local parties or proportional representation systems that balance district and citywide representation.
Richard R. Buery Jr.
1:04:08
So, mister Kirkham, just following up on that question just as an example, you could very easily imagine the process that would lead to a general election with two Democrats, both of whom might have had more popular support with a Democrat and Republican who had less popular support.
1:04:24
I'm just that would sort of align with the sort of idea that it doesn't necessarily benefit or harm any party.
1:04:31
It may increase the likelihood that the two most popular candidates of any party might have an opportunity to face off in the general election.
1:04:37
Is that right?
John Ketchum
1:04:38
That that is right.
1:04:39
Thank you, chair.
1:04:41
I should say that the research on even your elections holds the other electoral structures constant.
1:04:48
Right?
1:04:49
So they're not going to confound the variables on that.
1:04:52
But local politics does not necessarily have to align with national political labels.
1:04:58
Right?
1:04:58
I mean, we we have many, many differences, many opinions.
1:05:02
We all know New Yorkers have lots of opinions.
1:05:04
Right?
1:05:05
And to think that we are making our local decisions based on whether you like Joe Biden or Kamala Harris or Donald Trump, it just defies belief in my mind.
1:05:17
I would much rather have a more localized politics where we might have, let's say, a pro housing growth party, right, where you have support for these policies across the city, but not necessarily in equal measures in particular districts.
1:05:37
So you're never really going to get representation of those citywide or borough wide interests, that are really important to represent through the single district paradigm that we have now.
1:05:51
I should also say briefly that there exists proportional representation models that preserve the single seat district while also allowing for citywide seats and that allow for proportionality for parties so that you have a nice balance of, district level one to one representation between constituent and rep and council member, but also other council members that, kinda represent citywide needs.