Single-party primary elections reshaping Congress, lawmakers and advocates say

The Story

Primary elections are reshaping Congress, with more than 90% of U.S. House seats now considered safe for one party. Some lawmakers and reform advocates say closed, single-party primaries limit voter choice and push elected officials toward ideological extremes.

Key Facts

• Congress could soon be more polarized due to primary elections, according to the NPR article.
• John Opdycke, founder and president of Open Primaries, said parties are shaping outcomes before voters get a say.
• GOP primary voters in Indiana, Kentucky, and Louisiana recently forced out lawmakers who crossed President Trump on redistricting.
• More than 90% of U.S. House seats are now relatively safe for one party, reducing competitive districts.
• Primaries are often run by parties, exclude independent voters, and see lower participation than general elections.
• Nick Troiano, executive director of Unite America, warned that partisan gerrymandering and partisan primaries lead to increased polarization.
• Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., said closed primaries drag members from compromise and that the two-party system is broken.
• Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., voted to convict Trump on impeachment charges in 2021; Louisiana changed to a semi-closed primary, and Cassidy lost with about 25% of the vote.
• Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, lost her 2010 primary but won as a write-in; after Alaska adopted a top-four open primary, she won reelection in 2022.
• Murkowski remains the only Republican senator who backed Trump’s impeachment to win reelection.
• In 2024, voters in several states rejected ballot measures creating nonpartisan primary systems.
• Troiano’s Unite America is fighting bills in about a dozen states that would close primaries to independents.
• Opdycke said the gerrymandering battle this year has supercharged interest among party leaders to close primaries.

Conflicting Reports

No conflicting reports identified in the source article.

Still Unclear

No open questions identified in the source article.

Misconceptions

John Opdycke stated it is a common misperception that nonpartisan or open primary systems always lead to more moderate candidates.

Key Figures

• John Opdycke – founder and president of Open Primaries
• Nick Troiano – executive director of Unite America
• Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa.
• Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La.
• Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska
• President Donald Trump (mentioned as influencing primary races and redistricting)

Sources: NPR