California’s political campaigns are already combative and expensive, but the top-two primary system, in effect this year for the first time in statewide races, has upped the ante by forcing new strategies in fundraising, polling and even the timing of attack ads. This is the first year in which top two is in play in races for state constitutional offices, including governor.
Many candidates must calculate how to run back-to-back elections against the same challenger – weighing the merits of expending effort and money before the June primary versus keeping the powder dry for November.
“Everything is so much more expensive,” said Ruben Barrales, president and CEO of Grow Elect, which works to elect Republican Latinos. “We’re doing polling earlier than ever, and every race is different (than it used to be) – even in the same district.”
When top-two primaries were first put into effect in congressional races in 2012, there were several instances in which a Democrat wound up being pitted against a Democrat in the general election, with no Republican on the ballot, and vice versa. In one heavily Democratic district in Southern California, a host of Democratic candidates split their party’s vote in the primary, leaving two GOP candidates to face each other in the runoff.
Julie Griffiths, a Republican strategist, said the new system is “causing business interests to weigh in more often and more generously” on behalf of Democrats who are “business friendly” in races where Republicans are unlikely to make a credible challenge. Under top two, she said, “the money movement has changed – and it has increased dramatically.”
http://www.sfgate.com/politics/article/How-top-two-primary-system-has-changed-California-5455227.php