Each week I curate a set of “Top Notes” of media coverage on the 2020 presidential elections. Read it to keep up to date on latest developments.
– Sarah Lyons, Director of Communications, Independent Voting

March 21 – 28, 2019

Schultz – Howard Schultz will attend the annual conference of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee on Monday evening. On Friday, Schultz responded to a tweet from the liberal advocacy group MoveOn, which has been urging Democratic presidential candidates not to attend. He said that the “unwillingness of the far left to even speak with people they may disagree with is one of the worst symbols of the dysfunction in Washington today.” (NECN, 3/24/19)

• Mueller probe: Former Starbucks CEO Howard SchultzOpens a New Window., who is considering an independent bid for presidentOpens a New Window.in 2020, said Americans were not interested in the Mueller investigation of President TrumpOpens a New Window. and Russia collusion during the 2016 election. “For the last 7 weeks as I traveled the country,” he said during an exclusive interview with FOX Business’ Maria BartiromoOpens a New Window. on Tuesday, “The American people have not asked me about that investigation.” “I think to see the President of the United States now kind of spiking the ball and celebrating the fact that there wasn’t collusion and now the Democrats unwilling to let it go—this is just another prime example of the fact that we are not seeing the government work on behalf of the American people,” he said. Schultz said there’s many issues that require “leadership” including supporting Israel, that could benefit the nation, but “the ideology on both sides” is preventing the government from compromising. And in Schutlz’ opinion Americans are “disgusted and “embarrassed” about all of it. (Fox News, 3/26/19)

Buttigieg – For a 37-year-old mayor of a small city in Indiana, Pete Buttigieg’s candidacy is lifting off with startling speed, suddenly omnipresent on Twitter and Facebook but also on cable-news channels where Buttigieg’s smarts and charisma have made him an unlikely media star. The most recent Emerson University poll in Iowa, released Monday, puts Buttigieg in third place in the Democratic primary field with 11 percent. Buttigieg, a candidate with a grab bag of admirable qualities for a Democrat—youthful, Midwestern, military vet, Harvard grad—still lags behind frontrunners Joe Biden (25 percent) and Bernie Sanders (24 percent). But now he’s nosing out Kamala Harris(10 percent), Elizabeth Warren (9 percent), and O’Rourke (5 percent).  (Vanity Fair, 3/25/19)

• From Black women to Black LGBTQ millennials, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg’s messages on economic opportunity and gun violence are resonating with the Democratic Party’s base—Black voters. The openly gay Democrat running the city of South Bend, Indiana, was a lesser-known 2020 presidential candidate until his acclaimed town hall performanceon CNN on March 10. Since then, the midwestern mayor has captured the attention of Black voters and David Axelrod, the former campaign manager for Barack Obama. (Ebony, 3/22/19)
• ​On independent voters & ideology:
  • “Appealing to independents, in particular, has never been more important. It has also never been less connected to ideological centrism, which was the formula in the 90s when we thought of everything ideologically. It seemed very natural that, if you want to appeal to independents, they must be in some middle — and if you’re on the left you just move to the right…Independents are often not so much committed centrists as they are unusual cocktails of right- and left-wing positions. Or they’re not that ideological at all and they want a feel for a kind of person who would step forward and be a leader. Either way, it does not point to there being some huge market for that kind of split-the-difference politics.”
  • “I just think that the pressure to align yourself on a fixed ideological line has a tendency to play into a construction that’s mostly there for the benefit of conservative politicians. And I think it’s less and less relevant right now. …So I’m deliberately resistant to some of these spectrum analyses, because I think they’re more useful to political creatures than they are to voters or to people like me trying to make a case for certain ideas.”
• “I’ve grown up in a time when you can pretty much tell that there’s tension between capitalism and democracy, and negotiating that tension is probably the biggest challenge for America right now.” (Vox, 3/28/19)
• Al Sharpton spoke with Mayor Pete Buttigieg about the newest developments with the Mueller Report and more.  (MSNBC, Sharpton)
  • ‘Where I live, here in Indiana, I know a lot of people who voted for this president not because they were under any illusions about his character, but because they in many ways wanted to vote to burn the house down because they have felt so left out of the political and economic structures and systems that we’ve been in for my entire lifetime and frankly Democratic and Republican presidencies have let so many Americans down. We’ve got to put a stop to that and that means. democratic reform and making sure this really is a democracy … doing away with the electoral college and doing something about voter suppression that has denied so many U.S citizens their legitimate ability to vote. If we don’t get a handle on these core, structural issues then every other issue we care about whether it’s raising minimum wage or making sure healthcare is available to all of us or tackling the issue of climate change, none of our ability to deal with any of those issues is going to get any better until we fix our democracy which for political and let’s face it for racial reasons is being made less democratic… 

• Mayor Pete vs Mayor de Blasio – there is no question that Mr. Buttigieg has generated more buzz; his recent visit to Manhattan was his third fund-raising effort in New York City. de Blasio, 57, has appeared before small crowds in early primary states such as Iowa, South Carolina and New Hampshire, and came in lastin a recent Quinnipiac University poll that asked which New York politician would make the best president. (NYT, 3/25/19)

​Booker – Joined Rev. Shaprton on his MSBNC’s show. Sharpton asked about his unique challenge: promoting cross-racial unity while promoting black voters’ concerns. Booker also gives his advice on what 2020 Candidates need to do to close the gap with voters of color. 10% of Iowa audiences are signing “commit to caucus” cards. Booker discusses newly introduced reparations bill. (MSNBC, 3/24/19).

Harris – The California Democrat referenced how King was only 26 at the start of the 1955 Montgomery bus boycott in Alabama. The former California attorney general joked that established leaders also should recognize when to hand off to the next generation, which doubled as a thinly veiled swipe at some of her top 2020 rivals: former Vice President Joe Biden, 76; Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, 77; and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, 69. “And, I’ll just say to the older leaders, that it also becomes question of let’s also know when to pass the baton,” Harris said. (Washington Examiner, 3/24/19)

Warren – Democratic Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren said she does not support term limits in Congress while speaking at a town hall in New Hampshire on Sunday. “Here’s the problem on term limits on folks in Congress — it makes them more dependent than ever on the lobbyist. Believe me, if the senators only stay for two terms, the lobbyist will be there a lot longer and they’ll know how the game is played,” the senator, who’s running for president, told an audience member at the town hall in Conway, New Hampshire. (CNN, 3/24/19)

• On Mueller report – Like the rest of her 2020 Democratic presidential contenders, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) agrees that Congress and the public should get to see Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s full report. But she’s not sure voters will actually care what it says. (Daily Beast, 3/25/19)

Sanders – No longer a fringe candidate or an outsider, Bernie Sanders will be under pressure to score decisive victories in early contests for the Democratic nomination or risk seeing his 2020 candidacy deflate. Sanders’ challenge to Hillary Clinton in 2016 gives the 77-year-old independent senator from Vermont higher name recognition than other declared 2020 candidates, and that’s made him the early front-runner in the primary campaign. (Bloomberg, 3/22/19)

O’Rourke – On Sunday, he campaigned at Arandas Taqueria and Pour Coffeehouse, two minority-owned businesses. He greeted the crowds and began his speeches in Spanish. He leapt on a counter, a cooler, and on top of a van to discuss climate change, immigration reform, education, worker’s rights, health care. He also said his campaign is about a democracy that includes everyone. “If we are going to meet these challenges, then we need a democracy that expects and brings out the best from all of us. No me importa (I don’t care) if you’re a Democrat or a Republican or an Independent. The only thing that matter is that you’re an American, a human being, and [that] you’re here in this country with a chance to act,” said O’Rourke. (KTNV, 3/24/19)

Weld – Former Massachusetts Gov. William Weld says he’s leaning toward challenging President Donald Trump in the 2020 Republican primary, and expects to make a decision in April. Weld gave the clearest sense of his intentions yet, and laid out a path to the GOP nomination during an appearance on the New Hampshire radio talk show Pints & Politics on Monday afternoon. The former two-term governor said he’ll focus on the early-voting state of New Hampshire, which shares a media market with Boston and is located a short drive away from where Weld lives in Canton, Mass. If he runs, Weld said he expects to be competitive across New England and in the mid-Atlantic states. He also expects his challenge could gain traction in California, which votes the first week in March. Weld, who indicated he would make a play for independent voters, millennials and suburban women, floated the idea of secure mobile voting Monday, which would be done from a smartphone, to expand the electorate and draw in younger voters. As scores of high-profile Democratic candidates tour New Hampshire, Weld acknowledged that persuading independent voters to vote on the Republican ballot next year could be a challenge. “Some independent voters might conclude choosing between simply two men who have nothing in common other than being large, orange men. And I think politically, the president and I have not very much in common at all. That might be an appealing way to cast a vote that would make a difference,” Weld said. (Politico, 3/25/19)

Gillibrand – Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand on Wednesday became the first candidate in the 2020 field to release her 2018 tax returns, and in doing so, she pressed the other contenders in the already very crowded field to follow suit.

Klobauch – Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Amy Klobuchar unveiled a $1 trillion plan to overhaul American infrastructure Thursday in a direct challenge to two of President Donald Trump’s biggest priorities – his tax cuts, which became law, and his infrastructure plan, which has not come to fruition. The Minnesota Democrat wants to combine $650 billion in federal funding with loan guarantees and tax subsidies to upgrade U.S. infrastructure, her campaign announced. She aims not only to repair roads, bridges, airports, railroads and schools, but also ensure “every household in America” has an internet connection by 2022. The senator’s plan also calls for encouraging renewable energy and protecting U.S. infrastructure from climate change threats such as rising sea levels. (CNBC, 3//28/19)

Williamson – Marianne Williamson was in NH last week. The Democratic hopeful answered questions from voters in “Conversation with the Candidate,” a town-hall style forum at the WMUR studios. (WMUR, 3/22/19)

Newly Announced – A Florida mayor launched a long-shot campaign for president Thursday – Miramar Mayor Wayne Messam.  In a two-minute launch video titled “Your Champion,” Messam says that Washington is broken and highlights prescription drug prices, climamte change and student loan debt as “high-stake problems that we must deal with today.” Messam, who owns a construction company with his wife of 20 years, is largely unknown, even in Florida political circles. (Politico, 3/28/19)

New Hampshire

• Former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld is planning to spend much of the week in New Hampshire as he mulls a challenge to President Donald Trump in the 2020 Republican presidential primary. Weld is scheduled to meet with Gov. Chris Sununu and former New Hampshire House Speaker Doug Scamman. He’ll also meet with survivors of domestic and sexual violence and attend a house party hosted by former New Hampshire Republican Party Chairman Fergus Cullen. (San Francisco Chronicle, 3/24/19)
• Buttigieg – Manchester April 5, Concord April 6

Nevada – Five Democrats seeking the presidency in 2020 will be in Las Vegas next month to speak to labor unions about wages and working people. The Service Employees International Union said Wednesday that Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, former Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke, Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, California Sen. Kamala Harris and former Obama administration housing chief Julian Castro are slated to speak at the April 27 event.

HR 1 – The big problem is that HR 1 appears to omit any reform that would adversely impact the Democratic Party. That makes it a show pony. Written to maximize partisan advantage, the Democratic sponsors knew it stood no chance of being enacted. A sincere effort at political reform would have included elements detrimental to both parties, such as open primaries and term limits.  (RealClearPolitics, 3/26/19)

# # #

March 12th, 2019

Congresswoman Debra Haaland
400 Gold Avenue SW
Suite 680
Albuquerque, NM 87102

SENT VIA EMAIL

Dear Congresswoman Debra Haaland,

We would like to express our congratulations to you on your election as one of the first Native American women in the United States Congress!

We know you appreciate how important it is for American democracy to be truly inclusive. We are among the 26 million independent voters who were excluded from voting in the 2016 presidential primaries. In New Mexico 19% of Native American registered voters are independents. Among the grouping of voters who self-identify as independents nationally 30% are African American voters, 41% are Hispanic voters and over 50% are young voters.

On behalf of independent voters, we write to ask you to make another important stand for inclusion, by calling on the Democratic Party to open its 2020 presidential primaries to independent voters. Independent voters, who were 30% of the electorate in the 2018 midterms, played a key role in electing Democrats to a majority in the House. Independents are determining the outcome of national elections. We believe that it is time for the Democratic Party to open its presidential primaries to independent voters.

The Democratic Party in New Mexico—as well as nationally—has the authority to open its presidential primaries to independents.

In 2016 the Democratic Party in four states—California, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and South Dakota—exercised their authority and opened their presidential primaries to independents. At the time that the Oklahoma Democratic Party opened its primary to independent voters, the DP State Chairman Mark Hammons said, “Today Oklahoma Democrats from across Oklahoma came together for a historic vote to allow Independent voters access to Democratic Primary ballots in Oklahoma. Democrats have opened their arms in allowing Independent voters access to have a voice in deciding candidates before they are chosen for them.”

It is critical to give all voters, including independents, full and equal voting rights in America. This political reform is not only important for independents; it is vital for a qualitative reinvigoration of American democracy into a political process that is really inclusive from the bottom up.

Dr. Jessie Fields is an activist with Independent Voting, the largest organization of independents nationally. We, the additional signers, are independent voters and activists in New Mexico. The President of Independent Voting, Jackie Salit, has authored a letter (attached) to DNC Chairman Tom Perez, which more than 950 independent leaders and activists from all 50 states have also signed. Independents and leaders of our movement would love to meet with you to discuss this issue and the important role of independent voters in American politics.

We hope you will play a leadership role in this historic endeavor.

Sincerely Yours,

Dr. Jessie Fields
417 Fifth Avenue, Ste. 811
New York, NY 10016

Tisha Le Rose
13501 McCall Court NE
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87123

Gordon Hill
4386 Kachina Canyon Road
Las Cruces, New Mexico 88011

Joseph Patton
1403 Latigo Lane
Roswell, New Mexico 88201

Susan Sehi-Smith
204 Hermosa Drive NE
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87108

Dear Mr. Weld,

I am the chair of VIVA, Virginia Independent Voters Association, and a leader with Independent Voting, the largest organization of independent voters in the country.  I applaud your courageous and timely decision to enter the Republican Presidential Primary race.  We see unique opportunities to collaborate on election reform issues and hope you are willing to meet with Independent Voting’s President, Jackie Salit, to discuss them.

Your record as a true Independent speaks for itself, but what really interests me about your campaign is your explicit reference to Independent votes in states where the GOP allows us to participate in their primaries because expanding the number of states with open primaries is our goal.  In the fall of 2018, Independent Voting launched Eyes on 2020, a campaign to accomplish just that. I serve on the campaign’s cabinet.

Jackie Salit recently wrote Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez asking him to endorse opening his party’s primaries in states where they are still closed.  Almost 1000 Independent activists from all 50 states signed that letter.  In parallel with our contacts at the national level, we are contacting the chairmen of both parties in all closed primary states.  Our strategy is to appeal to all (challenger) candidates’ interest in expanding the voter pool beyond committed partisans – the “opening” you referred to in the Bloomberg Television interview.

While we do not expect Democrats in every state to welcome Independents, we do believe they will seriously consider the option.  It is far less likely that Republicans will like the idea, but together we may be able to help them see that this election is about far more than keeping or installing a party member in the White House; it’s about restoring Americans’ faith in our electoral system.  Framed this way, Republicans have far more at stake.  With or without open primaries, the Democrats are giving voice to anti-Trump sentiment and there is plenty of competition.  Closed Republican primaries will only confirm all but the most loyal GOP voters’ suspicions that the party has sold its soul.

Please reply to me at [email protected] or 202-693-7122 (work phone) with an indication of your availability to discuss this further with Jackie and me.  Thank you!

Sincerely,

Steve Richardson
Independent Voting “Eyes on 2020” Cabinet

Steve Richardson of the Virginia Independent Voter Alliance and member of the Eyes on 2020 Presidential Candidate Cabinet Outreach team got to the heart of the matter in a letter he sent to former Governor William Weld, who announced the formation of an exploratory committee for the Republican presidential nomination several weeks ago.  Steve brought Weld up to speed on the Eyes on 2020 campaign including the letter to Perez and wrote:

“While we do not expect Democrats in every state to welcome Independents, we do believe they will seriously consider the option.  It is far less likely that Republicans will like the idea, but together we may be able to help them see that this election is about far more than keeping or installing a party member in the White House; it’s about restoring Americans’ faith in our electoral system.  Framed this way, Republicans have far more at stake.  With or without open primaries, the Democrats are giving voice to anti-Trump sentiment and there is plenty of competition.  Closed Republican primaries will only confirm all but the most loyal GOP voters’ suspicions that the party has sold its soul.”  Full letter here.

* * *

Cabinet member Dr. Jessie Fields organized a group of New Mexico indies to send a letter to newly elected Congresswoman Debra Haaland, one of the first Native American women to be elected to Congress.

Each week I curate a set of “Top Notes” of media coverage on the 2020 presidential elections. Read it to keep up to date on latest developments.
– Sarah Lyons, Director of Communications, Independent Voting

Shultz – A Fox News townhall w/ Shultz hosted by Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum is scheduled for April 4 in Kansas City, Missouri. Schultz’s town hall next month will be Fox News’ first of the 2020 cycle, and it comes weeks after the Democratic National Committee rejected its request to host a Democratic primary debate, citing its ties to Trump. (Fox News, 3/19/19)

• Backlash – The former Starbucks chairman and his band of true believers are convinced — and getting more unblinkingly convinced by the day — that the anger is conveniently packaged proof that they’re paving the right path. By now, Schultz’s pre-campaign team has been growing for months. He consulted with D.C. veterans like former New Jersey senator Bill Bradley and former Defense Secretary Bob Gates, both ex-Starbucks board members, before making his exploration public, and his political payroll now includes — in addition to Chiarelli, Schmidt, Burton, and Strimple — GOP operative Brooks Kochvar, who’s managing the effort, and longtime PR pro Tucker Warren and former D.C. journalist Erin McPike for the press side. Schultz’s aides are sketching out a path for the months ahead that includes meetings with voters and business owners all over the country, and studying target states — including Arizona, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and Texas — where they think he has a chance to make waves.  (NY Mag, 3/15/19)“The reaction we got from the extremes is proof positive that we’ve struck a chord,” Greg Strimple,a Republican pollster who does Schultz’s public-opinion work, toldNew York “That sounds really basic, but I think it’s true: we go out there, Howard says on 60 Minutes he’s thinking of running for president, and the world becomes unglued. How can that one sentence unglue the whole political establishment of the most powerful country on earth? It tells me we’re onto something.” (Vanity Fair, 3/15/19)

Buttegieg – Buttigieg entered Sunday’s CNN town hall as a longshot — sitting at 1% in Iowa and New Hampshire, recent polls have shown. At the close of the hour-long town hall on Sunday — his first extended appearance with a national television audience — Democrats were saying they wanted to hear more from the former Rhodes Scholar and Afghanistan veteran. Buttigieg’s hit the 65,000-donor threshold to qualify for the first presidential debate in June.

• Morning Joe – “Mika and I have been overwhelmed by the reaction @PeteButtigieg got after being on the show,”tweeted “Morning Joe” co-host Joe Scarborough following “Mayor Pete’s” appearance on the program earlier this week. “The only other time in twelve years that we heard from as many people about a guest was after @BarackObama appeared on Morning Joe.” (MSNBC, 3/20/19)
  • Scarborough: Let’s start with your ideology first. Would you say you’re more liberal or less liberal than AOC, Nancy Pelosi..where are you on the ideological spectrum.
  • Buttegieg: I pretty consider myself a pretty strong progressive but I also don’t consider the left-center spectrum the most useful way look at our politics right now because I think it’s gotten jumbled up by the current president and the pace of change.
  • Scarborough: So, do you consider yourself more of a centrist?
  • Buttegieg: Again, I don’t find these labels very helpful but I would consider myself more of a progressive than a centrist.  Look in South Bend, I wouldn’t be able to govern effectively if I couldn’t work well with independents and Republicans.  But, I didn’t do it by pretending to be more conservative than I am.  I actually don’t believe that the best way to reach independents today is thru ideological centrism.  I mean mathematically, look at the numbers in my county and its very clear that are a lot of people who voted for Barack Obama, Donald Trump, Mike Pence and me. Which indicates that voters, especially voters in the heartland where I come from, don’t necessarily make their decisions by just lining everybody up on an ideological spectrum and then looking for the dot that’s closest to where they are
• Exchange with Howard Schultz – Schultz apologized (to Buttigieg and Gabbard) Thursday after claiming he spent more time with the military than any other 2020 contender.

O’Rourke –  Beto O’Rourke raised $6.1 million in his first 24 hours as a presidential candidate, according to his campaign, surpassing Bernie Sanders and every other 2020 Democrat who has disclosed their figures. O’Rourke’s campaign announced Monday that he had taken in $6,136,763 in online contributions in the day after declaring his candidacy Thursday morning. (NBC, 3/18/19).   O’Rourke will be very busy this week — with stops in Wisconsin (Sunday), Michigan (Monday), Ohio (Monday), Pennsylvania (Tuesday), New Hampshire and, this coming weekend, South Carolina.

• Early Fundraising Comparison: Sanders beat expectations and stunned observers by raising a then-record-setting $5.9 million in his first 24 hours as a candidate last month. Among other Democratic candidates, Sen. Kamala Harris of California collected $1.5 million, which was seen as an impressive haul. Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota raised $1 million in 48 hours, as did former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper. It took Gov. Jay Inslee of Washington 72 hours to raise more than $1 million, but that still surpassed expectations. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts raised at least $300,000 on New Year’s Eve, her first partial day in the race, according to filings from the online donation clearinghouse ActBlue. But her campaign declined to disclose their complete one-day fundraising picture.

Booker / O’Rourke – Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey and Beto O’Rourke, the former Texas congressman, suggested this weekend that they would pick a woman as their vice president if they won the nomination. “It would be very difficult not to select a woman, with so many extraordinary women who are running right now,” Mr. O’Rourke told reporters in Iowa on Saturday night. But, he noted, “first, I would have to win, and this is as open as it’s ever been.”  Mr. Booker told voters in New Hampshire that he was “confident” the party would “make history” with their nominee. “No matter what — I’m looking you in the eye and saying this — there will be a woman on the ticket,” he said. “I don’t know if it’s in the vice president’s position or the president’s position, but if I have my way, there will be a woman on the ticket.” (NYT, 3/19/19)

Sanders – Campaign announced Friday it will be the first major presidential campaign to have a unionized workforce, as party activists push Democratic candidates to mirror their progressive platforms within their own campaigns. Over the past week, a majority of the staff’s bargaining unit employees designated United Food and Commercial Workers Local 400 to represent them. The campaign stayed neutral during organizing efforts and voluntarily recognized the union once a majority of staffers signed union cards, according to both the campaign and the union. (Politico, 3/15/19)

Warren – It is not surprising that Warren has jumped out to an early lead in the ideas primary. The main theme in her life, both professional and personal, has been economic opportunity. Her theory of political change has been shaped by two experiences — one failure and one success. As a professor in the 1990s, she served on a federal bankruptcy commission and fought against legal changes that favored banks over borrowers. The fight went on for a decade, and Warren’s side lost. The defeat left her believing that a technocratic legislative debate — “the inside game,” as she calls it — almost always favors industry lobbyists. The success came during the Obama administration, when she pushed for an agency to protect consumers against banks’ misbehavior. The idea was new. It was also simple enough for voters to understand. She hawked it on “The Daily Show With Jon Stewart.” This time, Warren’s side won. Trump has since constrained the agency, but it still exists and is still doing good. (NYT, 3/15/19)

• Wants to abolish the Electoral College “I believe we need a constitutional amendment that protects the right to vote for every American citizen and makes sure that vote gets counted,” Warren said. “We need to put some federal muscle behind that, and we need to repeal every one of the voter suppression laws that is out there.” States have already started to take matters into their own hands. Warren also said a constitutional amendment should deal with voter suppression in the United States, which disproportionately affects low-income communities of color, and that she would create a group to study the implementation of reparations for the descendants of slaves. (VICE, 3/19/19)

Gillibrand – Officially announced her candidacy for the 2020 Democratic nomination on Sunday with a campaign video titled “Brave Wins.” Gillibrand, who announced an exploratory committee in January and has visited a number of key early voter states, is the 14th Democrat and the 6th woman to enter the race. Her announcement video singled out President Trump for using fear to pit people against one another, and argued that American bravery can help the country achieve progressive proposals like universal health care, paid family leave for all and a Green New Deal.

Castro – Visited Charleston to tour the site for the International African American Museum. This is his first visit to South Carolina since declaring his candidacy for president. The International African American Museum will break ground in August 2019 at Gadsden’s Wharf, in Downtown, Charleston.

Weld – I’m basically a lifelong Republican who always tended toward the liberty side of the Republican family. When I re-registered as a Republican, after three years as a Libertarian, I was not rejoining the Know Nothing wing of the Republican Party, which is the Trump wing. The Whig Party, when it split in half in the 1850s, the pro-slavery wing became the Know Nothing Party, and the other wing is the party that elected Abraham Lincoln four years later. I rejoined what I hope is the party of Lincoln. (Rolling Stone, 3/15/19)

• Weld was recently asked what he thought about Ranked Choice Voting as a structural reform. “I loveRanked Choice Voting. It actually made a difference: my candidate lost in one of the Maine House districts because of ranked choice voting. Which is after everyone’s first choice is counted, you go and look at the second choice votes and the Democrat – I was for the Republican – the Democrat won that race in Maine, based on getting more second-choice votes. I lived in Cambridge Massachusetts for 25 years, which has proportional representation, which is very close to the same thing.”
• On third parties / Shultz: “I hope they have a more prominent role. I’m not one to throw cold water on idea of third parties or says that Howard Schultz is crazy to run as a third party. He’s a pro biz Dem and if he comes from a third party, that’s better than not being heard at all.” Weld was interviewed on March 9th at the “Austin City Limits Live at The Moody Theater” as part of the “Conversations about America’s Future” series sponsored by South by Southwest and the Texas Tribune. You can watch the whole interview at the Texas Tribune’s website here. Wait through the short ad and intro screen. The Ranked Choice Voting question comes right at minute 25:00. (Texas Tribune, 3/15/19)

Hickenlooper – Said Wednesday that he would suspend the death penalty if he were elected to the White House. Hickenlooper, who officially launched his presidential campaign earlier this month, said the death penalty “makes no sense” during a CNN presidential town hall in Atlanta. “It’s expensive, it prolongs misery, and the worst thing, it is random. Depending on where that crime occurs and, in many cases, whether the killer is African American or Latino, that has a lot to do with who gets tried on a death penalty charge,” he said. “The random injustice of that is something this country should never stand for.” (The Hill, 3/21/19)

Harris – Praised California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) for halting the death penalty in the Golden State. “As a career law enforcement official, I have opposed the death penalty because it is immoral, discriminatory, ineffective, and a gross misuse of taxpayer dollars,” Harris said. “The symbol of our justice system is a woman with a blindfold. It is supposed to treat all equally, but the application of the death penalty – a final and irreversible punishment – has been proven to be unequally applied.”

Hogan – Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, a popular Republican governor in a blue state, isn’t ruling out a challenge to Mr. Trump but has yet to announce any intention to do so. (CBS, 3/15/19)

Mike Gravel – The two-term former Democratic senator from Alaska who left elected office in 1981, is running for president. Kind of. Late Tuesday night, a Gravel exploratory committee filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission. The filing was the brainchild of teenagers — but they had the senator’s blessing. Gravel and the teens are an odd match at first glance. But the students said they were attracted to Gravel after hearing about the senator on “Chapo Trap House,” a left-leaning podcast. The organizers said they were drawn to Gravel’s beliefs on foreign policy specifically, as well as the promotion of direct democracy initiatives by the senator who famously read the Pentagon Papers into the congressional record. (Politico, 3/20/19)

Popular Vote – Colorado has joined 11 other states and the District of Columbia in pushing legislation that will require their electoral votes to be assigned to whichever presidential candidate wins the nationwide popular vote. On Friday, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) signed the popular vote bill into law. However, the law will only take effect if enough states adopt it. Collectively, states representing at least 270 Electoral College votes — the amount required to win the presidency — need to sign on to the legislation; the states that have adopted the bill so far represent 181. (Think Progress, 3/16/19)

Nevada Caucus – Nevada Democrats proposed extensive changes to their 2020 caucus on Wednesday, recommending in-person early voting and a way for voters to caucus absentee as a way for the process to be more open to Democrats. The plan includes long-held proposals, like hosting caucus sites on the Las Vegas Strip for hospitality workers and offering bilingual preference cards in English and Spanish. It also adds new proposals, such as a four day in-person voting period for those unable to caucus on February 22, a two-day virtual caucus for those Democrats who can’t participate at all in person and adding Tagalog to the list of languages offered in caucus locations. (CNN, 3/20/19)

# # #

Independent voters in Washington state responded strongly to a bill sent from the legislature to Gov. Jay Inslee requiring voters to affiliate with a political party in order to participate in the state’s 2020 Presidential primary.

Their letter reads:

March 12, 2019

VIA FACSIMILIE: 360-753-4110

Governor Jay Inslee
Office of the Governor
PO Box 40002
Olympia, WA 98504-0002

Dear Governor Inslee,

We the undersigned are independent voters. We urge you to veto SB 5273 concerning the presidential primary.

While the bill seeks to make Washington’s presidential primary more impactful, it would force independent voters to align with a political party in order to participate in the election. This is unacceptable. Since the presidential primaries are taxpayer-funded elections, all voters, regardless of affiliation, should be allowed to participate.

Voters in Washington have a long history of refusing to affiliate with a political party and have not registered by political party since the early 20th century. Preventing independents from voting unless they publicly declare an affiliation will negatively affect voter turnout. Nearly 40% of voters in Washington’s 2000 open presidential primary were unaffiliated.

The election of the next President of the United States is the most important exercise of democracy in our nation. In 2016, over 25 million independents across our country were barred from voting in presidential primaries.

This is a moment for Washington to continue to lead the way as it has done in the past in creating open, inclusive, nonpartisan elections. Our state should ensure that the presidential primary is fully democratic.

You owe it to the Washington voters to veto this bill and send it back to the legislature. They can do better.

Signed,

David J. Anderson, Friday Harbor, WA                                                                      C.V. Compton Shaw, Seattle, WA
Ned Witting, Puyallup, WA                                                                                           Janice Lyle, Marysville, WA
Elizabeth Sadewasser, Camas, WA                                                                             Jackie Horton, Silverdale, WA
Teri Raymond, Orient, WA

Cathy L. Stewart, New York, NY
Vice President for National Development, Independent Voting

By Sarah Lyons
March 6, 2019

First published by IVN

Last week, I joined a conference call with a dozen independent voter activists from around the country – all cabinet members of the “Eyes on 2020” campaign sponsored by Independent Voting, who are making a simple demand: Independents want full access to every stage of the 2020 presidential election process in every state.

A recap of activities over the last several weeks was varied and impressive, touching on the many different ways independents are working on what is a civil rights campaign for the 40% of Americans (according to Gallup) who consider themselves independents.

It’s estimated that 25 million independents were excluded from voting in the 2016 presidential primaries. I was one of them, living as I do in a closed primary state. Yet what most people don’t realize is that the power to open or close presidential primaries lies with the political parties, not with state legislatures or state governments. Opening the primaries is a matter of choice for political party organizations, a protected right established by the Supreme Court. Of course, political will is needed, too. Hence, the cabinet and the bee hive of activity it is beginning to build.

Independents have determined the outcome of national elections since 2008 and were 30% of the electorate in the 2018 midterms. And, though we are a long way from knowing the outcome of 2020, a look at the field of presidential candidates and their position on the basic democracy issue of voting rights for independents show how independents impact more than just election results.

Among those who have officially launched their campaigns, or are exploring a presidential run, a half dozen are advocates for open primaries: Bernie Sanders, John Delaney, and Eric Swalwell on the Democratic side, and former Massachusetts Governor Bill Weld and potentially Maryland Governor Larry Hogan on the GOP side.

Add to this list Howard Schultz, who is exploring a possible run as an independent. His position on open primaries is not yet known, but he shares independents’ visceral sense that our political process is broken and places responsibility on both parties. He says they are “consistently not doing what’s necessary on behalf of the American people and are engaged every single day in revenge politics.”

Each of these candidates has taken a different path in coming to recognize and respect America’s independent voters.

Sanders, an independent himself, saw how support from independents and millennials fueled his 2016 candidacy and brought him within inches of a presidential nomination. He spoke out in support of open primaries after the Nevada caucuses and New York primaries – both states he lost, which stalled his campaign’s momentum.

John Delaney, a businessman new to politics when he ran for Congress in 2013, was schooled so strongly by voters in his district about the problems they experienced in Maryland’s elections that he responded by proposing comprehensive national election reform legislation (Open our Democracy Act) that included mandating open primaries.

Eric Swalwell of California ran under the open primary system championed by former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, dubbed “top two,” and defeated a 40-year incumbent and fellow Democrat in the general election to become one of the youngest members of Congress.

On the GOP side, Bill Weld, who ran in the 2016 elections on the Libertarian ticket with Gary Johnson, was asked why he thought he could replace a sitting president and pointed out that there are 20 states where independent voters can cast ballots in the primaries.

Finally, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, who has not ruled out a run, was recently asked by Judy Woodruff if he could change something about the system, what would it be? His first response was open primaries “because in our state the largest growing group are independents – we have about 800,000 – and they can’t vote in primaries.”

Beyond the simple issue of enfranchisement, he noted the added benefit: “you wouldn’t have so much polarization in Congress and the legislatures.”

With regards to Howard Schultz’s independent campaign, should he decide to pursue it, he would bypass the primary process altogether but will invariably be asked about whether the major party primaries should be open to independents.

Independents will be asking these candidates – and all who enter the 2020 race – to lobby their respective parties to open the presidential primaries to independents. Undoubtedly, the road to the 2020 election will have many twists and turns. One essential feature independent voters will have their eyes on is whether we can become partners in American democracy – not just kingmakers for the two party system.

# # #

Sarah Lyons is the Director of Communications at IndependentVoting.org, a national association of independents. She is a native of Oregon and resides in New York City.

Each week I curate a set of “Top Notes” of media coverage on the 2020 presidential elections. Read it to keep up to date on latest developments.
– Sarah Lyons, Director of Communications, Independent Voting

CANDIDATE OVERVIEW:  Recap of candidates currently running / exploring and their positions on various issues (does not include Weld). (Uproxx, 3/4/19)

Shultz

• Ralph Nader on Schultz – “(His) agenda is simply far closer to the GOP’s agenda. He would be better off registering as a Republican and challenging President Trump inside the party primaries, where he would receive massive visibility… Schultz is no revolutionary. Oppose or support him as you wish. But do not demand he stay out or drop out and still call yourself a small-D democrat. Ultimately, it’s the voters’ fundamental right to choose.” (Time, 2/18/19)
• Delaney on Schultz – Delaney – “I think the Schultz thing got a lot of attention because he said he was going to run as in independent. I thought it was actually really interesting how it unfolded. I had a lot of conversations with Democrats about it and they were all very upset that he was going to run as independent. They were upset because they’re worried about losing. What I would say to them all at the time is, “Well, why do you think he’s doing this?” They would all ultimately say, “Well, he thinks there’s a lot of people in the middle.” And I always say, “Well, yeah, so why are we giving up on these people? Why has the Democratic party decided that these people are not our target voters? Why are we not trying to build a big-tent party of moderates, progressives, independents and even some Republicans?” I actually think the whole thing has been a positive for what I’m doing. It’s been a wake-up call for Democrats. You ignore the center at your own peril. The grand center in this country, if you will, the center-left and center-right, is still the largest block of voters in the country. I think that United States of America is basically a purple country. We talk about the congressional districts, the red districts and blue districts and purple districts. The U.S. is just one giant purple district. If you want to win that purple district, you’ve got to capture the center. I think that is gong to be the 2020 election. This isn’t going to be a turn-out election; it’s going to be an old-fashioned persuasion election. You’re actually going to have to sit across the table from people in the middle and convince them that you’re the kind of leader that will represent them and actually do what they want to get done, which is to solve problems and make progress. I think that Schultz has helped focus that conversation. One of the problems is that if you listen to the parties, they will literally tell you the other side is entirely wrong about every single thing they believe. Listen, I think Democrats are more right about policy than Republicans are, which is why I’m a strong Democrat. But I’m not walking around saying every Republican I know is a horrible human being who doesn’t have any good ideas or have anything to contribute to our country. It’s ridiculous. But if you listen to the parties, that’s what they’re basically telling us and there’s really been a vacuum of principled leadership.” (Rolling Stone, 3/5/19)

Hickenlooper – Former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper said on Monday he’s running for president, casting himself as a can-do uniter who is used to overcoming adversity and accomplishing liberal goals in a politically divided state. “I’m running for president because we need dreamers in Washington, but we also need to get things done,” Hickenlooper, 66, said in a video announcing his campaign . “I’ve proven again and again I can bring people together to produce the progressive change Washington has failed to deliver.” Hickenlooper is expected to focus heavily on Iowa, where many Coloradans come from and a state where his low-key, genial approach could be potent. In previous trips he’s emphasized his record and how he can bring warring parties together. (AP, 5/4/19)

Inslee – Gov. Jay Inslee entered the 2020 presidential race Friday, launching a longshot campaign with a focused message that he’s the only candidate who would make defeating climate change the nation’s top priority. In a short video announcing his candidacy, Inslee repeats what has become his signature slogan in recent years: “We’re the first generation to feel the sting of climate change, and we’re the last that can do something about it.” He plans to leave the state for national media interviews, and will campaign in Iowa Tuesday and in Nevada later in the week. Inslee’s national ambitions have been evident for more than a year. He spent 2018 as chairman of the Democratic Governors Association, traveling the country to help elect fellow Democrats while making valuable connections with national political donors and operatives. Inslee, 68, is an ex-congressman and state legislator who was elected governor in 2012, defeating then-state Attorney General Rob McKenna. He was re-elected to a second term in 2016, with 54 percent of the vote. (Seattle Post Intelligencer, 3/1/19)

• Inslee is expected to sign bill barring independents from 2020 Prez Primary – A bill moving up the state’s presidential primaryto early March from late May cleared its final legislative hurdle Monday, ensuring Washington voters get a louder voice in determining the Democratic and Republican nominees for president next year. Democrats used their majority in the House to pass legislation which would result in an election March 10, 2020. The bill, which the Senate approved in January, passed on a 54-42 vote. Gov. Jay Inslee, currently one of the Democrats vying for his party’s presidential nomination, is expected to sign it. There is a catch which independent voters are not going to like. Under the bill, if voters want to participate they are going to have to say they are a member of the political party of the candidate they are backing. (Herald Net, 3/5/19)
• Washington Gov. Jay Inslee says he has raised more than $1 million since launching his Democratic presidential campaign Friday. That’s a notable haul for a governor who starts his campaign less widely known than many of his competitors in a field dominated by senators. Inslee disclosed his mark Monday on MSNBC. He’d already announced that he has contributions from all 50 states. Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar raised more than $1 million in her campaign’s first 48 hours. California Sen. Kamala Harris topped $1.5 million in her first 24 hours. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders dwarfed the field with a nearly $6 million haul on his first day. (NBC, 5/5/19)

Harris – Since announcing she was running for president of the United States, California Sen. Kamala Harris has been busy. On Thursday, Feb. 21, she had lunch with the Rev. Al Sharpton at Sylvia’s Restaurant, the famed soul food eatery in Harlem. Last month, she held a rally in her home state, a CNN town-hall event in Iowa and another town-hall like event in New Hampshire. They discussed criminal justice, voting rights and economic policies—all issues that are of concern to the Black community. (Amsterdam News, 2/28/19)

Warren – In Iowa, Warren underscored her campaign theme that the United States must seek large, structural transformation in government in lieu of incremental changes. The senator wrapped up a six-stop swing through northeast Iowa on Saturday afternoon. “This really is our moment and the need for us to get this right couldn’t be more urgent,” Warren said. “And let me also say I’m going to support our Democratic nominee all the way.” (DesMoines Register, 3/2/19)

Sanders – Needing to distinguish himself within a crowded field of Democrats, Bernie Sanders launched his 2020 presidential campaign Saturday near the Brooklyn, New York, neighborhood where he grew up in a quest to add a personal narrative to the liberal economic platform for which he’s known.  Sanders energized his loyal progressive followers with a nearly 40-minute  speech that leaned on a familiar populist message from his 2016 bid – a call to “no longer tolerate the greed of corporate America and the billionaire class.” But there was a heavier dose of biography than three years ago as he rolled out his new bid for the Democratic nomination. Sanders was introduced to the stage by his wife, Jane Sanders, Scott Slawson, president of the Erie, Pennsylvania chapter of the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of American, and a trio of black leaders: Democratic South Carolina state Rep. Terry Alexander, Democratic Ohio state Sen. Nina Turner, and social justice activist Shaun King. The three each painted Sanders as a lifelong fighter for the working class and underprivileged. (USA Today, 3/2/19)

Castro – Democratic presidential candidate Julián Castro has said the first thing the United States needs to do is to make sure it is the smartest nation on earth. The way to be the smartest, the former San Antonio mayor and Obama administration housing secretary has been saying in Iowa and other states, is for the nation to start early by investing in pre-K education. Having made Pre-K 4 San Antonio (known as Pre-K 4 SA) happen, Castro pledged at his Jan. 12 speech announcing his 2020 run that as the nation’s chief executive, he would make “pre-K for the USA” happen. Trying to hit that nerve, Castro told the Democratic crowd at the Story County Soup Supper Fundraiser in Ames, Iowa on Feb. 24, “We’re good in investing in things — in roads, in bridges, in airports, in stadiums, but not oftentimes investing in people.” (NBC, 3/1/19))

Booker – About 500 people came to Reedy Fork Baptist Church on the outskirts of Simpsonville Friday to see and hear from Cory Booker, a U.S. senator from New Jersey who is seeking the Democratic nomination for president in 2020. Booker, who will attend another campaign event in Charleston on Saturday, told reporters after Friday’s event that he intends “to go places where you often don’t see candidates.” (The State, 3/1/19)

New Hampshire

• Sanders – Bernie Sanders is returning to New Hampshire this weekend for the first time as a 2020 White House contender. The Monitorlearned on Tuesday that the independent senator from Vermont will hold an event Sunday at noon at the Grappone Conference Center in Concord. This event is free and open to the public. No tickets are required, but anyone interested in attending is asked to RSVP in advance. (Concord Monitor, 3/5/19)

NOT running

• Bloomberg – I’m not running for president, but I am launching a new campaign: Beyond Carbon. I know what it takes to run a winning campaign, and every day when I read the news, I grow more frustrated by the incompetence in the Oval Office. I know we can do better as a country. And I believe I would defeat Donald Trump in a general election. But I am clear-eyed about the difficulty of winning the Democratic nomination in such a crowded field. (Bloomberg, 5/5/19)
• Hillary Clinton definitively declared on Monday “I’m not running” in the 2020 presidential election, again throwing cold water on the still smoldering rumors that she might go for a 2016 rematch against President Donald Trump.  “I’m not running, but I’m going to keep working and speaking and standing up for what I believe,” she said in an interview with News 12, a regional cable news network in New York. “I’m not going anywhere.”
• Merkley – S. Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon has decided not to enter the increasingly crowded race for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination after months of consideration. Merkley, who planned to formally announce his intentions on Tuesday, said in a telephone interview that he decided he would be more effective running for his third term in the Senate than being a candidate for the presidency. He aims to fight anti-democracy moves including voter suppression, gerrymandering and dark money.
• Holder – Former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said on Monday he would not seek the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020, but will work to help the party recapture the White House and make gains in state legislatures ahead of the next round of congressional redistricting.

Celebrity

Mark Cuban – Dallas Mavericks’ owner Mark Cuban has not ruled out the possibility of a presidential run in 2020, and that it “would take the exact right set of circumstances,” he said in an interview with New York Daily News. Cuban did not answer what the exact circumstances would be for him to run in 2020. However, he isn’t worried about running as an independent. “It’s not a question of reach, that’s the easy part. If you have a message that people want to hear and will grab onto, it doesn’t matter if you’re an independent or in one of the two main parties,” he said.(CBS Local, 5/5/19)

The Eyes on 2020 campaign cabinet is amplifying the letter to DNC Chair Tom Perez by sending it with a personal cover note to Democratic State Chairs and Vice Chairs in their states.

Kirsten Fulda wrote on behalf of Connecticut independents, “In 2016, close to 26 million independents voters could not vote in the presidential primaries. In Connecticut, the Democratic presidential primaries are closed. The Democratic Party of Connecticut has the authority to open these primaries to independent voters.”

Independents for Arizona wrote “I was a registered Republican for over 50 years and have been a registered independent voter for the last 12. I have never been a registered Democrat, although I have voted for as many Democratic candidates as for Republican — probably more during the last 25 years. I urge you to lead the Arizona Democratic Party in allowing independent voters to vote in the 2020 Democratic Preference Election… So, why would you listen to my message? 1. It would help Democrats prevail in 2020 and that would be far better than if Republicans did and 2. It is the right thing to do because we independents are American, too. Jackie Salit’s attached letter to your National Chair underpins all of this better than I could say it.”

Kim Wright, a former independent candidate in Missouri wrote to Jean Peters Baker, the Missouri Democratic Party Chair, “Independent voters in Missouri have enjoyed the opportunity to participate in state-wide primary elections. The number of voters registering as independent continues to increase in Missouri and the nation; and yet, across the country independents are locked out of primary elections. Unfortunately, legislation was introduced this legislative session (HB26) to actually close primary elections in Missouri. We, as independent voters, strongly oppose this introduced legislation. I write to urge you to oppose this legislation as well that would change the culture of elections in Missouri by instituting partisan registration, a closed primary and decreased voter mobility. I also write today about the 2020 presidential primaries. The time has come for presidential primaries to be open to independent voters in all 50 states.”

Tiani Coleman, President of NH Independent Voters asked the DP and RP chairs in her state to take a leadership role nationally since NH primaries are open to independents:  “Will you join us in helping to open up the process in your party across the country?  We know that in New Hampshire, independent voters are valued as voters who contribute to a robust primary process.  Will you add your voice in asking Chairman Perez to make sure presidential primaries are open in all 50 states?”

In addition to Bell, Fulda and Hough, letters to party chairs and vice chairs have been sent by:

•  Jenn Bullock – Independent Pennsylvanians
• Randy Wilson – Independent Voice of California
• Evelyn Dougherty – Massachusetts Coalition of Independent Voters
• Steve Richardson – Virginia Independent Voters Association
• Cathy Stewart / Dr. Jessie Fields – Independent Voting (New York).
• Sue Davies – New Jersey Independent Voters

The cabinet is looking to organize offensives in all 50 states.