The 2020 presidential election has its first announced candidate, and he supports nonpartisan primary reform in all states: US Rep. John Delaney (D-Md.).
Delaney officially announced he is running for the Democratic nomination in three years, explaining in an interview that he sees "no downside in getting in early" and spending the time to build his name ID.
Delaney is best known in the election reform community for his support of nonpartisan open primaries and independent redistricting commissions.
He re-introduced his "Open Our Democracy Act" in the current congressional session, which would require nonpartisan open primaries similar to those already in place for statewide and non-presidential federal elections in Washington state and California.
Here is how it works: All candidates and voters participate on a single primary ballot and the top two vote-getters move on to the general election, regardless of party affiliation.
The "Open Our Democracy Act" would also make Election Day a legal federal holiday and would require every state to adopt an independent redistricting commission that does not take partisan motivations into account when redrawing congressional districts and is not controlled by a party.
