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TESTIMONY
Testimony by Council Member Frank Morano against top-two primaries and even-year elections
0:31:31
·
4 min
Council Member Frank Morano voices his strong opposition to the proposed "top-two" open primary system and moving municipal elections to even years.
He argues that the top-two system is a "political trap" that reduces voter choice and suggests instead expanding the current nonpartisan special election model with ranked-choice voting.
Morano also believes that holding local elections in even years would cause them to be overshadowed by national races.
- Morano calls the top-two primary system a "political trap disguised as reform" that shuts out minor parties and outsider candidates.
- He uses the recent mayoral race as an example, suggesting a top-two system would have produced a lopsided runoff.
- He advocates for expanding the nonpartisan special election model with ranked-choice voting to all municipal elections.
- He opposes moving local elections to even-numbered years, fearing local issues would be drowned out.
Frank Morano
0:31:31
Thank you once again for the opportunity to testify before this commission.
0:31:34
I suspect by now you've heard enough from me to last a lifetime.
0:31:38
But given how important these decisions are, I hope you'll indulge me one final time for one final three lit three minute commentary.
0:31:46
First, though, I wanna genuinely thank each of you for the time, energy, and sacrifice you've poured into this process.
0:31:52
I know how demanding this work is.
0:31:54
You've sat through endless hearings, read more reports than anyone would envy, and heard passionate arguments on every side.
0:32:01
And that's real public service, and I appreciate it even when me or other members of the public may disagree on the details.
0:32:07
Tonight, I wanna zero in on a few of those details that are in the interim report and one big one that's left out of the interim report that I hope you'll consider before finalizing your recommendations.
0:32:18
First, please do not pursue the so called top two system.
0:32:24
You've heard me say this before, but let me put it in plain terms.
0:32:28
And, you know, for two people that disagree politically as much as council member minority leader, Joanna Areola and controller Brad Lander do, and both of them are saying don't do this, and there's a reason.
0:32:39
Top two is a political trap disguised as reform.
0:32:43
It may sound good on paper, but in practice, it shuts out minor parties, discourages outsider candidates.
0:32:50
In most of the city, it shuts out Republicans at both voters and candidates, and it leaves voters with a false choice.
0:32:57
If you want a real world example, imagine if we had top two in place right now for this year's mayoral race.
0:33:03
The final two candidates would almost assuredly be Zoran Mamdani and Andrew Cuomo.
0:33:09
And for many Republicans, independents, moderates, and heck, for a lot of Democrats, that matchup feels like the political version of alien versus predator.
0:33:16
No matter who wins, we lose.
0:33:17
That's not hypothetical.
0:33:19
It's exactly what we've seen happen in California where top two has produced lopsided runoffs that fail to represent the full political spectrum.
0:33:28
We've seen race after race where two Republicans are facing off on you.
0:33:33
In a Democratic district or vice versa, often silencing independent and third party voices entirely.
0:33:39
We should be building a system that encourages more choice, not less.
0:33:43
The solution isn't to import California's broken model.
0:33:47
It's to expand what already works here, nonpartisan special elections with ranked choice voting.
0:33:53
I was elected through that system.
0:33:55
It was clean, competitive, focused on ideas, not party labels.
0:33:58
And in New York, we've been doing it for over thirty years.
0:34:01
It worked for voters, and it worked for the city.
0:34:03
So why stop there?
0:34:04
Let's make every municipal election operate the same way with more choices, fewer spoilers, and elections decided by merit, not machinery.
0:34:13
And let me say this clearly, stop calling top two an open primary.
0:34:18
It's not.
0:34:19
The US Supreme Court doesn't call it that.
0:34:21
Political scientists don't call it that.
0:34:23
And when you misuse the term, you're confusing voters, and confusion is the enemy of trust in our democracy, and I wish you'd stop saying it.
0:34:33
If we wanna boost turnout, competitive elections are the answer, not rhetorical sleight of hand.
0:34:39
Look at the numbers.
0:34:40
This year's Democratic mayoral primary saw the highest turnout since 1989.
0:34:45
Why?
0:34:45
Because Remember, you're
Richard R. Buery Jr.
0:34:47
at you're at time.
0:34:47
Can you wrap up?
Frank Morano
0:34:48
Yeah.
0:34:49
I will, and and I appreciate you enforcing that three minutes with controller Lander as well.
0:34:54
So and that brings me to another proposal that I strongly oppose, moving municipal elections to even numbered years.
0:35:01
Sure.
0:35:02
Presidential years bring more people to the polls, but let's be honest, they come to vote for president, not for city council or borough president.
0:35:10
All moving the elections does is drown out
Richard R. Buery Jr.
0:35:13
Thank you so much.
Frank Morano
0:35:14
In a tidal wave of races.
0:35:15
I think it says a great deal about your agenda that you would give keep me to the three minutes, but you have no problem allowing controller Lander to go on
Richard R. Buery Jr.
0:35:24
Help a member in in his defense.
0:35:25
He testified once.
0:35:27
Any questions for the council member?
Diane Savino
0:35:31
You can't.
Richard R. Buery Jr.
0:35:34
I just any questions for the council member?
Diane Savino
0:35:37
No.
0:35:38
No.
0:35:38
We just like to thank him for his avid participation Yes.
0:35:41
Process.
0:35:42
He's been
Kai Rosenthal
0:35:42
in every hearing.
Richard R. Buery Jr.
0:35:43
Which we appreciate.
0:35:44
Hearing.
0:35:44
Yeah.
0:35:44
Appreciate your service as well.